Editor’s note: The article was updated at 6:10 p.m. on Aug. 20, 2025 to correct the spelling of the victim’s first name.
A teenage boy was charged in connection with a crash that killed 13-year-old Savanah Gatchell in Marblehead on Tuesday, Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker’s office said.
The teenager, 16, appeared in Lynn Juvenile Court on Wednesday, Tucker’s office said in a statement. He was charged with motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, and operating under the influence of liquor, as well as two civil motor vehicle infractions.
Due to state law, his name and other identifying information have not been released.
At around 2:51 a.m., a car crashed in the area of 353 Atlantic Ave., Tucker’s office said. Gatchell had life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The men and women of the Marblehead Police Department are extremely saddened by the loss of a young member of our community,” Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King said in a statement on Tuesday. “We share our deepest condolences with the victim’s family, loved ones, and anyone who is touched by this great loss. Our thoughts are with you.
“Our priority in the coming days will be to support our community, and most importantly the victim’s family, as they navigate the loss of a daughter, family member, and friend,” King said. “We respectfully ask the media and community to allow the family the space it needs to properly mourn.”
The crash remains under investigation by the Marblehead Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section (CARS), and State Police Crime Scene Services.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Marblehead Police Detective Sergeant Sean Brady at 781-631-1212.
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