SMITHFIELD, RI : Driver in deadly Subway crash in Smithfield will not face criminal charges on Thursday, 6th June 2024

The Smithfield Police Department has announced that the man accused of driving into a Subway and killing a woman nearly a year ago will not face criminal charges.

70-year-old Jeffrey Barden was expected to face charges after he came off of Route 44 last year, hit another vehicle, and crashed through the doors of Subway at the Apple Valley Mall on Putnam Pike.

Barden would kill a 47-year-old Charlote Vacca from Woonsocket and injure 5 other people in the restaurant.

According to the department, the Rhode Island Attorney General ultimately was the final one to make the decision and not bring the charges against Barden.

According to police, Barden was not intoxicated at the time of the incident and was said to have suffered a medical event.

After the incident, according to the police report, Barden was taken to the hospital where he suffered a seizure after being arrested.

Source