Bristol County man charged in crash death held without bail after being let out on bail on previous charges

A Bristol County man was arraigned this morning in Taunton District Court on charges of Manslaughter, Reckless Motor Vehicle Homicide and Negligent Motor Vehicle Homicide connected to a motor vehicle fatality which occurred Monday afternoon in Taunton.

According to Gregg Miliote of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, a district court judge ordered 34-year-old Hector Fernando Bannister-Sanchez of Norton and Medford’s bail on a pending drug trafficking case be revoked, meaning he will be held without bail for 90 days. At the time of yesterday’s incident, the defendant was out on bail for a Bristol County Superior Court Case emanating from Raynham where the defendant is charged with Trafficking a Class a Drug, Possession with Intent to District Cocaine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

The judge also temporarily held Bannister-Sanchez without bail on the new case until he hires his own defense attorney, at which point further bail arguments can be made. The matter was continued to December 8th.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m. Monday, members of a Massachusetts State Police narcotics task force attempted to stop a motor vehicle in Middleboro being operated by Bannister-Sanchez, who was the target of an ongoing investigation. Bannister-Sanchez, who was driving a 2017 Toyota Highlander sport utility vehicle, fled the attempted stop and drove away at a high rate of speed.

Miliote stated that the task force members did not pursue Bannister-Sanchez.

Several minutes later, Bannister-Sanchez’s vehicle crashed into a Ford Fusion being operated by Lori Ann Medeiros, 54, of Middleboro, on Kingman Road in Taunton. Mrs. Medeiros died as a result of the crash.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kaitlyn O’Leary.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said this case is yet another example of why the Legislature must act to amend the dangerousness statute. Due to a recent SJC ruling and the Legislature’s decision not to pass reforms to the state’s dangerousness statute this past summer, prosecutors could not even request a dangerousness hearing for this defendant.

“This case highlights the urgent need to amend the dangerousness statute, which I’ve advocated for years. The facts and circumstances of this case are egregious. On top of it, the defendant is out on bail for a superior court drug trafficking case and is out on probation for other drug offenses,” District Attorney Quinn said. “Although charged with manslaughter, the Supreme Judicial Court has recently ruled that Manslaughter is not a crime for which we can request a dangerousness hearing. The crime of Manslaughter must be added to the dangerousness statute, along with other crimes like Rape of a Child. This is unacceptable and needs to be changed by the Legislature. This defendant is clearly dangerous and should be held without bail until his cases are resolved.”

The incident remains under investigation by the State Police Detective Unit assigned to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn’s office, prosecutors, the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and Taunton Police.