Felony charges against one of two men charged in connection with a fatal pedestrian crash in Chicopee from February were dropped.
Jerimeldo Lopez, 21, of South Hadley was previously charged with the felony of leaving the scene of personal injury or death and one count of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, in connection with the death of 34-year-old Vanessa Perez on Feb. 9.
The charges against Lopez were dropped on Friday, according to court records, through a nolle prosequi filing made by prosecutors to dismiss the case before it went to trial.
The hit-and-run crash happened on Abbey Memorial Drive at around 7:19 p.m., and officers arrived around 7:45 p.m., according to the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office.
Perez, the woman struck, was treated at the scene but died from her injuries.
Investigators later found two vehicles connected to the incident — a plow truck driven by Lopez and a sedan driven by Lavonta Williams Jr., 29, of Chicopee, according to WWLP.
Lopez was arraigned in connection with the incident on April 9 in Chicopee District Court and was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail. He’d been scheduled to appear for a probable cause hearing on May 6, just four days before his charges were dismissed.
During his arraignment, Lopez’s attorney said Lopez hadn’t seen or heard Perez when he hit her with the plow because it was nighttime, Perez was walking “literally in the middle of the road” in dark clothing and Lopez had music playing, according to the outlet. Perez also had headphones in at the time, his attorney said.
Williams, the other driver still charged in connection with the fatal incident, is scheduled for a probable cause hearing in Chicopee District Court on Thursday.
Williams was arraigned on charges of leaving the scene of personal injury or death on April 8, and the judge chose a $2,500 bail.
Williams’s attorney, Joseph Pacella, said his client “stopped his car” that night, had called 911 and tried flagging other people down for help, according to the outlet.
