Man convicted in Massachusetts highway crash that killed 13-year-old, seriously injured two others

PLYMOUTH – A jury has convicted a driver who was under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he struck a car, killed a 13-year-old girl, and left two others seriously injured, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has announced. 

After a two-week trial, a jury deliberated for over 10 hours before finding 36-year-old Gregory Goodsell of Marshfield, guilty of one count of Murder in the Second Degree, and one count each of Motor Vehicle Manslaughter while Operating Under the Influence, and Leaving the Scene of Property Damage. Goodsell was additionally found guilty of two counts of Operating Under the Influence Causing Serious Bodily Injury. 

At just after 6:45 a.m. on December 29, 2019, Pembroke Police received a call for a report of a two-car crash on Route 139 Pembroke (Church Street) and Oak Street with injuries. A Massachusetts State Police trooper driving home from work, arrived on scene first. Pembroke Police and Pembroke emergency medical personnel responded, as did fire personnel from Hanover and Marshfield. 

First responders observed a white Subaru containing three occupants that had sustained heavy front-end damage. Across the roadway, a white Ford pickup truck, which was operated by Goodsell, was fully turned around with heavy passenger side damage. Three people were extricated from the Subaru with catastrophic injuries. Fifty-year-old Elizabeth Zisserson, who was operating the motor vehicle, her 13-year-old daughter Claire, and friend 13-year-old Kendall Zemotel, who were both sitting in the backseat. All were transported to South Shore Hospital. The two 13-year-old females were later transported to Children’s Hospital in Boston for further treatment. Claire Zisserson succumbed to her injuries. 

The severity of the crash and accident scene closed the area to traffic for several hours while the Massachusetts State Police Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and Pembroke Police investigated. 

Investigators determined that Goodsell attended a company party and then a house party in Pembroke prior to the crash. He departed the party at approximately 6:40 a.m. in his company-issued “Hi-Way Safety Systems, Inc.” white Ford F-250 truck, and struck a nearby tree, breaking his passenger side headlight. Through evidence and witness interviews, investigators determined that Goodsell was intoxicated with a BAC of 0.266, under the influence of cocaine, and passed through a red light at 67 m.p.h. before broadsiding the Subaru. At the time of the crash, inside Goodsell’s vehicle, police located a bottle of whiskey, a beer can, two nip bottles, marijuana and a pipe. 

The sentencing of Goodsell is scheduled for October 3 in Plymouth Superior Court. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Russell Eonas and Sharon Thibeault.

The fatal victim, Claire Zisserson, was remembered as a bright, kind, and caring girl with a beautiful heart who played soccer, basketball, cross country, and was a rising tennis star. Singing with her friends, making videos, and playing the piano were a few of the things she enjoyed.