Suspect arrested in West Bridgewater hit-and-run that killed Raynham woman

A Brockton man pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he caused a fatal crash on Route 24 in West Bridgewater earlier this week and then left the scene, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz.

Juan Leonardo Parra Altamirano, 33, surrendered Thursday morning at the Massachusetts State Police barracks in Middleborough on charges relating to Monday night’s deadly hit-and-run crash, a department spokesman said in a release.

Erpharo Gilbert, 46, of Raynham was killed in the crash.

Parra Altamirano was arrested and charged Thursday with leaving the scene of a crash that caused personal injury resulting in death; leaving the scene of a crash that caused personal injury; and leaving the scene of a crash that caused property damage, officials said.

A judge ordered Parra Altamirano held on $100,000 cash bail with conditions that he wear a GPS monitoring bracelet, stay confined at home, surrender his passport, and not leave Massachusetts, the DA’s office said.

The crash took place Monday around 10:30 p.m. and involved a 2008 Toyota Scion TC and a 2015 Honda Accord.

Police said Parra Altamirano, driving the Toyota, hit the Honda, pushing it into the concrete barrier. He then allegedly fled the scene, leaving behind the Toyota’s bumper and license plate, officials said.

As the Honda came to a stop in the left travel lane, a 2022 Ford pickup truck slammed into the rear of the car, causing it to become fully engulfed in flames, according to officials.

West Bridgewater fire officials responded to the scene and put out the fire.

Gilbert, who had been driving the Honda, was declared dead at the scene.

The fatal crash shut down the northbound side of Route 24 for almost four hours, officials said.

The victim’s husband, Jean Marie Coquillon, told NBC10 Boston that their 5-year-old son is “still waiting for his mom to come home.”

Gilbert, a social worker, was on her way to her overnight shift in Boston when she was killed, the station reported.

Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Molly MacKinnon said Parra Altamirano fled the scene because he is an undocumented immigrant, who had been “scared because of his immigration status,” NBC10 Boston reported.

“It was a big mistake for him,” Coquillon told the news station. “He could have saved my wife’s life, but he didn’t choose to.”

Parra Altamirano is expected back in court on May 4.