Suspect in fatal hit-and-run has DUI, speeding record
The man accused of killing 14-year-old Mathew Brown in an alleged hit-and-run Saturday night had lost his license three times, once for driving while under the influence of alcohol and twice for speeding four times in one year, according to his record with the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Keith W. MacArthur, 28, was arraigned in Barnstable District Court yesterday on charges of motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
''All I know is that he has a track record . . . and that basically he killed my son, drove away, and ran and hid," said Lawrence Brown, the victim's father.
In 1999, the state suspended MacArthur's driver's license for 45 days after he was cited for driving under the influence in Dennis, Registry records show. In 1994, he was cited for speeding four separate times and had his license revoked for two 30-day periods as a result, said Amie O'Hearn, spokeswoman for the Registry.
Sergeant Walter Warren said yesterday that Yarmouth police are investigating whether alcohol played a role in the collision, which occurred at about 8:35 p.m. Saturday on Route 6A near Homestead Lane. Brown was riding his bicycle along the two-lane road with two friends, heading west, when police say MacArthur struck the boy from behind and drove off. Police later found his maroon
MacArthur turned himself in the next morning, police said.
If found guilty, MacArthur could face up to 10 years in a state prison for leaving the scene and 2 1/2 years in a county correctional facility for motor vehicle homicide, said Michael Trudeau, first assistant Cape and Islands district attorney. ''I'm not going to comment on his prior record or lack there of," he said.
MacArthur was also ordered to stay away from Brown's family and refrain from alcohol or drugs, Trudeau said.
MacArthur, who was released on $10,000 bail, could not be reached for comment yesterday. His lawyer, who was identified as James Veara of the Dennis firm Zisson & Veara, could not be reached yesterday.
MacArthur's neighbor, Lisa Sears, said she saw about three or four people gathered outside on the driveway the night of the incident, yelling loudly. Sears, 41, said her family has complained to MacArthur and police about his driving. ''He would go 70 miles an hour," she said. Her son Joey Hernon, who was one of Brown's close friends, was too upset to attend school yesterday.
''He asked me, 'Mom, why?' and I can't give him an answer," she said. ''I can't explain it to myself. There is no reason."
Students too distraught to go to class went to the library, where they were encouraged to talk about the teenager's death, said Trisha Feeley, one of Brown's friends and a freshman at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, where Brown was a student.
Later in the afternoon, about two dozen teenagers who knew him went to a local Star Market where Brown often hung out with his friends. ''We're hanging out in memory of him," said Matthew Grindell, 14, one of Brown's best friends. ''He was literally like everybody's brother. He was my brother."
Lawrence Brown said his son was an inquisitive, caring boy who loved hockey and worried about the environment. ''He had a dream that he was going to make a sustainable engine that would sustain itself without any fuel," he said. ''He loved life. He loved being around his friends and his family."
Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com.
