Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara is facing nine charges in a Jamaica Plain car crash, and residents are questioning whether the elected official lives in the district she represents.
Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara appeared in court for two hearings on Wednesday, facing charges for allegedly driving with a revoked license, in an unregistered, uninsured car with an expired inspection sticker that belonged to someone else when she crashed into a house in Jamaica Plain, injuring her son.
A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf at her arraignment. She was released without bail, but a judge required that she not drive without a valid license.
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The full list of charges brought against her Wednesday is: permitting injury to a child (a court docket initially listed the charge as assault and battery on a child with injury), negligent operation of a motor vehicle, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, driving on a suspended license, driving an uninsured vehicle, not putting a child under 8 in a car seat, driving an unregistered motor vehicle and failing to wear a seat belt.
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Also Wednesday, a city official notified the Boston Election Commission that four people had filed valid objections to Lara's residency in the city and a hearing was being scheduled.
During the first hearing — which was held at the West Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court — a magistrate judge said that after reading the police report and hearing from the Boston officers who provided testimony, he was proposing adding two additional charges: operating negligently so as to endanger and recklessly permitting bodily injury to a child.
She later appeared in court for her arraignment, which was delayed by a legal system outage.
Lara's lawyer said he entered two motions to dismiss the charges. The next court date, for a pretrial hearing, is Aug. 16.
Lara acknowledged on Friday, June 30, that her child required stitches after a crash earlier that day. An incident report from the Boston Police Department redacted her name, but police confirmed the crash on Centre Street was the only one in the area that day.
Ahead of Wednesday's hearings, Lara addressed news media outside of the courthouse.
"Wanting to be fully accountable for my mistake and I plan on doing everything possible to remedy any issues ," she said. "I want to say there are often circumstances that prevent good people from checking off all of their boxes and that sometimes manifests itself as things like unpaid fines. I know that as an elected official, I have to hold myself to a higher standard and I intend to do that."
An owner of the house struck by Lara's car was also outside of the courthouse.
"There's been no acknowledgment on her part of her actions, no contact, no indication of remorse, no concern for the stress that she caused me and my family," Georgia Kalogerakis said.
The car hit a fence before crashing into the house, "causing significant damage," according to police. Lara told officers another car had pulled out in front of her and she swerved to avoid hitting it, but was unable to brake fast enough.
The man in the other car told police that he was barely out of the spot, then stopped when he saw a car speeding behind him. Witnesses told NBC10 Boston that they saw the car driving at a high speed.
Police found that Lara was allegedly driving an unregistered, uninsured car with a revoked license, according to the report. Police also claimed that Lara was going at least 53 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone before hitting the house.
The Boston Police Department filed a 51A report with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families "due to neglect and failure to use a proper car seat for the child's safety," police said in their report.
As fallout from the crash continues, Boston employees, including members of the city council, will now need to provide proof of a valid driver's license and other documentation to park at city hall.
In a recent memo emailed to colleagues, City Council President Ed Flynn announced applications must be submitted by the end of the day Friday for parking in the Executive Garage and the Donnelly Garage. The regulation applies to people working for the council, the city clerk's office or in the mayor's cabinet.
Eight days after the crash, Lara issued an apology on social media.
"We are all accountable for our actions, and I am no different, which is why I offer my sincerest apologies to everyone, especially the people of District 6," she continued. "As an elected official, I've worked hard to center the dignity and humanity of my constituents. Today, I ask you to also see mine as I work to correct my mistake."
