The Massachusetts man accused of striking and killing a Brockton grandmother with his vehicle Tuesday evening, then fleeing the scene, faced a judge on Friday.
Michael Blanche, a 33-year-old from Brockton, was arraigned in Brockton District Court on charges of leaving the scene of a crash causing death, negligent motor vehicle homicide, driving with a suspended license, speeding and failure to yield.
Blanche was arrested Thursday afternoon in the crash on Pleasant Street that resulted in the death of 72-year-old Marie Rose Bien-Aime, according to prosecutors.
"Somebody that knowingly strikes and 72-year-old woman and leaves her suffering in the road — I mean you don’t get much more cowardly than that," Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said.
Police said they received a 911 call for the crash at about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, and when first responders arrived, Bien-Aime was found unresponsive. She was taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center, where she later died, authorities said.
Bien-Aime's family said she had been walking home from babysitting when the crash happened.
Local
"What I say to driver? Why go that fast? You leave your house on time and to be there on time so you don't have to drive that fast," said Bien-Aime's son, Marc. "You can save life. If you struck somebody you have to stop and say how can I help?"
After releasing a surveillance photo of a green Hyundai that matched the description of the car they were looking for, police received a tip. They then located the car under a tarp with heavy front end damage on Ford Street next to Blanche's girlfriend's house, prosecutors said.
Police said they found Blanche in the basement.
When Blanche was questioned, police said he admitted he was going 45 miles per hour in a 30 mile-per-hour zone and said he hit Bien-Aime but never stopped and drove away.
"He also admitted that the pedestrian had come through the windshield after he struck her," prosecutor Kevin O'Leary said in court.
Blanche was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for next week.
