Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara is accused of driving more than double the speed limit before crashing into a Jamaica Plain home, according to a report released Wednesday night by the Boston Police Department.
The crash happened on Centre Street on the afternoon of June 30. Police said in an incident report at the time that Lara was driving an unregistered, uninsured car with a revoked license. She was also reported to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families because her 7-year-old son, who was injured in the crash, was not in a child seat.
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The new report, which is dated July 5, reveals details of the police investigation into the crash. It also says Lara's license has been suspended since 2013.
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A witness to the crash told police he was about to exit a parking space when he noticed a car headed toward his vehicle at a high speed. He didn't leave the space, he said, and the car passed him, making a hard left into the fence outside the home before crashing into it.
Officer David Murray calculated that Lara had to be going at least 53 miles per hour, based on measurements and field tests. The speed limit on Centre Street is 25 miles per hour.
According to the report, Murray further determined that if she had been going the speed limit, "Lara would have only needed 33.60 feet to come to a complete stop," and that at 53 miles per hour, she would have needed 151.092 feet.
The report said photographs of the scene showed no evidence that Lara used her brakes.
Murray's investigation also found that Lara's child may not have been buckled in properly, and that she was not buckled in at all.
The boy not being in a booster seat previously resulted in police filing a 51A report with the DCF. That form is used if a person is accused of child abuse or neglect, according to the state's website.
Murray found that the child's seat belt might not have been properly fastened because his blood was found on the arm rest between the driver's seat and passenger seat, as well as behind the passenger seat.
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Lara was cited back in 2010 for a seat belt violation and for not having a registration in her possession, according to the report. In 2013, her Massachusetts license was suspended for failing to pay a fine for not wearing a seat belt. She was cited in Connecticut because her out-of-state license was suspended. It was ultimately revoked in Massachusetts because of a law requiring indefinite suspension "until the right to operate has been restored in the other state."
Lara is due to appear in the West Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court on July 19. She was already facing potential charges, and the report from July 5 shows police intended to cite her for reckless operation of a motor vehicle, speeding and a seat belt violation.
On Saturday, Lara issued an apology on social media, saying she will "work hard to earn and maintain your trust."
