Thursday, 4:30 PM
Reilly seeking a negligent manslaughter charge, urges Amorello to step down
By Russell Nichols, Globe Staff | July 11, 2006
Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly launched a criminal investigation this afternoon seeking a “negligent manslaughter” charge after a woman died in a car when a tunnel ceiling partially collapsed.
Reilly, speaking at a news conference this afternoon, said he is investigating the accident that crushed a Jamaica Plain woman to death at about 11 p.m. Monday.
"The jurisdiction we're looking at is negligent manslaughter,” Reilly said. “We're treating this as a crime scene and we're looking at manslaughter."
“Everything is on the table,” Reilly added. “I'm talking about the Turnpike Authority. I'm talking about anyone that's signed off on this project."
The attorney general, a Democrat running for governor, said he spoke with Massachusetts Turnpike Authority chairman Matthew J. Amorello this morning and urged him to step down, adding that he "hopes Amorello does the right thing.”
At another afternoon press conference, Republican Gov. Mitt Romney said he would launch his own efforts to remove Amorello as chairmen.
"What happened last night of course is unacceptable,'' Romney said at a 2 pm news conference.
Amorello is expected to hold a press conference later this afternoon. This morning, Amorello said his agency was prepared for the scrutiny.
“We'll cooperate fully in any investigation that may result from this process, whether it be criminal or non criminal,” said Amorello, adding that US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and the Suffolk Country District Attorney’s office are also involved.
“We are going to do everything we can to assure these are safe tunnels,” said Amorello, flanked by police and state and local transportation officials. “These are safe tunnels. This was a horrible, horrible event. It is an anomaly, and we will get to the bottom of what happened.”
