PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An East Longmeadow woman was sentenced on Monday afternoon in Berkshire Superior Court to prison for her role in a drunken-driving accident two years ago that killed a Becket man.

Catherine A. Rivet, 30, of Parker Street, pleaded guilty to single countes of motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol and operating to endanger, failure to stay in marked lanes, speeding and possession of marijuana.

Thomas A. Sacchetti Jr., 42, of Prince John Drive, was a passenger in Rivet's 1997 Ford Contour in the early morning hours of Oct. 11, 2008. She was driving at a high rate of speed along Route 20 near the Chester line when she lost control and flipped her car. Sacchetti was pronounced dead at the scene.

Judge John A. Agostini ordered Rivet to serve three to five years in the Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Framingham on the motor vehicle homicide charge, to be served concurrently with six months in House of Correction on the possession charge. She was found responsble for the two traffic charges.

The investigation was conducted by members of the Becket Police Department and accident reconstruction specialists assigned to the Massachusetts State Police.  

ADAMS, Mass. — A Hoosac Valley High School student was killed in a one-vehicle accident early Thursday morning on Bucklin Road.

Police said 18-year-old Dana R. Labbee of 6 Burns Lane was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only occupant in the vehicle.

Labbee, a senior, played sports at the high school, including on the football and track teams. Labbee did not play baseball but the Hoosac team cancelled its game today because of the senior's many friends on the team.

The accident was reported about 5:27 a.m. Scanner reports indicate the vehicle Labbee was driving rolled over on the back road.

Officers Gregory Charon and Nicholas Dabrowski and members of the Adams Fire Department and Adams Ambulance Service responded to the scene. The accident is under investigation by police and State Police Accident Reconstruction Team.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A 66-year-old pedestrian was hit by a vehicle Monday morning while trying to cross Main Street.

Police said the man, whose name was not released, walked into the street without warning just east of Cole Avenue where the road curves. He was not in a sidewalk and was hit by a 1994 Oldsmobile driven by Michael Richardello of North Adams.

The man was taken to North Adams Regional Hospital by paramedics with Village Ambulance Service with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening. 

The accident is under investigation but police say they have determined that Richardello was not at fault.
 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A 34-year-old city woman was killed, and three other people were injured Friday morning, March 26, in a two-car crash on Route 91 in Longmeadow.

Tracy Gomez was driving a 2000 Hyundai Sonata southbound shortly before 10 a.m. when she apparently tried to turn left from the far right lane to use the median turnaround at the .8 mile marker, according to state police from the Springfield barracks.

Her driver's side door was struck by a 1996 GMC Jimmy being operated by 69-year-old Karl Johnson Sr. of West Suffield, Conn., that was traveling in the left lane adjacent to the median, according a preliminary investigation by Trooper Christopher Keyes.

Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene. Her passenger, 66-year-old Stephen Bowen of Springfield, was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Baystate Hospital in Springfield with serious injuries. The passenger of the Jimmy, 50-year-old Karl Johnson Jr. of West Suffield, and his father were taken to Baystate Hospital with serious injuries as well.

The accident was reported at 9:56 a.m. The left and middle travel lanes were closed for approximately two hours during the crash investigation.

The crash is under investigation by Troop B with the assistance of the Crime Scene Services Section, Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section and troopers from the Hampden County district attorney's office.

Troopers were additionally assisted at the scene by the Longmeadow Fire Department, AMR ambulance service, and MassHighway.

A two-vehicle accident on Sunday afternoon on Route 8 in Cheshire sent four people to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.

According to state police, Geoffrey Duval of Adams was making a lefthand turn, heading south, from the parking lot of Whitney's Farmstand in a green Chevrolet Cavalier shortly before 1 p.m. when he struck a northbound Honda CRV driven by David Malacarne, 54, of Pittsfield. Duval was taken to North Adams Regional Hospital with minor injuries.

Malacarne, his wife, Mary, and another passenger were taken to BMC where they were treated and released.  State police cited Duval for failure to use care when turning.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene.