The driver involved in a two-vehicle crash that killed two people in East Boston back in August, has been indicted for manslaughter, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
The Suffolk County Grand Jury returned indictments on Nov. 9 charging Steven Birenbaum, 27, of Swampscott, with two counts each of manslaughter by motor vehicle and motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence.
The charges stem from a crash that happened in the early morning hours of August 31 on Route 1A northbound, about a half-mile after the exit of the Ted Williams Tunnel.
Prosecutors say Birenbaum was operating a Subaru Legacy at speeds of up to 80 mph when he struck a Hampton Inn airport shuttle.
Two passengers in the van, 59-year-old Joseph A. Rodriguez and 47-year-old Sandra L. Arreola, both of El Paso, Texas, were ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other passengers and the shuttle driver were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The district attorney's office said blood samples were taken from both drivers. The shuttle driver’s blood showed no signs of alcohol in his system.
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After analyzing Birenbaum's blood at the State Police Crime Lab, test results showed he had a blood-alcohol content of .15, or almost twice the legal limit of .08.
Birenbaum is expected to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Nov. 28.
