Authorities say a Massachusetts woman accused of leaving a severely injured 10-year-old boy at the scene of a crash over the weekend allegedly took shots of tequila while at a party before getting behind the wheel.
A Massachusetts woman accused of leaving a severely injured 10-year-old boy at the scene of a crash over the weekend allegedly took shots of tequila while at a party before getting behind the wheel and had several open alcohol containers in her car.
Thirty-seven-year-old Revere resident Cecilia Miranda pleaded not guilty to the charges, including operating under the influence of alcohol and two counts of child endangerment while operating under the influence, while facing a judge Tuesday in Chelsea District Court.
Prosecutors say that after the crash, which happened on Route 16 in Revere just after midnight Sunday, Miranda took off with one child, her 6-year-old son, and headed to Massachusetts General Hospital in a bystander's car, but left another child, her 10-year-old nephew who was severely injured, at the scene. The 10-year-old child's current condition is unclear, but state police previously said the injuries were not life-threatening.
Miranda couldn't explain to investigators why she left her nephew, prosecutors said. He was picked up by a good Samaritan who took him to a nearby health clinic.
Investigators who tracked Miranda down said she smelled of alcohol and was swaying. Miranda allegedly told officers she was sorry and said she had been to a party before the crash.
Court documents show a state trooper saying to Miranda, "I suggested that perhaps she could have taken them both to the hospital with her, she shrugged and seemed indifferent to the welfare of the second child."
Several open containers of alcohol were found in the car Miranda had been driving, and she admitted to having three to four drinks at the party, according to prosecutors. A witness told investigators that she allegedly took five shots of Patron tequila.
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During the arraignment, Miranda's attorney said she is a lifelong Boston-area resident, a married mother of three who works as a medical assistant and understands the gravity of the situation.
A judge set bail at $7,500 and ordered her not to drive. She was also ordered to surrender her passport. Miranda's brother, sister and friend were in the courtroom during the arraignment and left without commenting on the charges.
