Billerica,MA : Driver in fatal Billerica auction crash on may, thursday 11th 2017

The 76-year-old auction employee driving the SUV that suddenly accelerated and ultimately killed four people last week has been involved in seven crashes since 1985.

According to records from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Roger Hartwell has been cited in seven accidents; these have happened in Quincy, where he lives, as well as in Weymouth and Milton. Hartwell has also been cited for failure to stop, impeding operation, no inspection sticker and other offenses.

Hartwell had his license suspended in 2012 for several violations. He never had it reinstated after it was suspended, and it expired in 2014.

After the crash last week at Lynnway Auto Auction in Billerica, he was cited as an "immediate threat," and his license was indefinitely revoked.

Lynnway President Jim Lamb said the company was "unaware of the change in status of the driver's license until the police told (them) after the accident."

"When we hired him in 2010, he had a valid Massachusetts driver's license," Lamb wrote in the statement. "As he has had no issues while driving with Lynnway for the past seven years, we were surprised and upset to learn of this development.

"We hold our drivers to a high standard," Lamb added. "If a driver loses the ability to drive in Massachusetts for any reason, we would expect them to inform us and we would not allow them to drive on our property unless they hold a valid driver's license."

An employee said last week that Hartwell had been known for driving "irritatingly slow" during the auctions.



Source :
Driver in fatal Billerica auction crash cited 7 times