Crime
Man charged with murder, other charges, in fatal crash that killed 24-year-old Ashley Cardoso of Brockton
BROCKTON – A Brockton man has been arraigned on charges he was under the influence of alcohol and behind the wheel when he killed a woman, and seriously injured another, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has announced.
40-year-old Jose Lopes pleaded not guilty in Brockton Superior Court to one count each of Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter by Motor Vehicle, Motor Vehicle Homicide, Operating Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor Resulting in Bodily Injury, Operating Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor, and Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle. The Commonwealth requested that Lopes be held on $250,000 bail with the conditions that he be monitored by GPS, participate in alcohol screens, surrender his passport, stay in Massachusetts, and have no contact with the victims, their families, and the witnesses. Judge Daniel J. O’Shea set bail at $5,000, and adopted the Commonwealth’s conditions.
The charges follow an investigation into a two-car collision that occurred on May 28, 2023, just after midnight on Pleasant Street in Brockton. Upon arrival, Brockton Police and emergency personnel located two female victims who had been traveling in a Nissan, and Lopes, who was driving a Honda. All three individuals were suffering from serious injuries, and were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Ashley Cardoso, 24, who was a passenger in the Nissan, died as a result of her injuries.
Brockton Police contacted Massachusetts State Police, to begin the investigation. As a result, police were able to identify a number of witnesses to the crash, and obtained video surveillance which shows the impact of the two motor vehicles. The video shows Lopes, driving his Honda at approximately 50 mph in a densely populated area, lose control of his motor vehicle, strike a curb and crash head-on into the Nissan, killing Cardoso, and seriously injuring the operator. At the time of the crash, Lopes’ Blood Alcohol Content was .20.
Tuesday, a Plymouth County grand jury indicted Lopes on the charges, and a warrant issued for Lopes’ arrest. He turned himself into the court Wednesday morning. Lopes is next scheduled to appear in court on May 22.
Paul Roderick
March 28, 2024 at 9:55 am
It has always amazed me that the court looks so much differently toward the negligent killing of another person while under the influence of alcohol. None of us are without sin, but a 4000 lb vehicle is as deadly as a handgun. I know that bail is not punitive but the accumalation of charges justify a higher bail. Maybe, like truth in sentencing, each charge should have a bail range. Add up all the charges by their median bail assesment and that will be the bail. The only thing the judge should decide at that point is things like home confinement, random testing and alike.