New Bedford man charged in Taunton Route 24 crash that killed Fall River’s Tyler Moniz granted bail in Superior Court

A New Bedford man has been given bail after a fatal crash in Taunton killed a Fall River man.

36-year-old Fred Moreira was arraigned in Fall River Superior Court Tuesday on charges of Motor Vehicular Homicide OUI Liquor and Operating Under the Influence of Liquor-Serious Injury & Negligent. He pled not guilty.

According to Massachusetts State Police, at approximately 2:30 a.m. on July 8, 2023, Troopers from State Police-Middleborough Barracks responded to a crash involving a 2014 Lexus Sedan and two motorcycles on Route 24 southbound in Taunton. The crash resulted in fatal injuries to the operator of the first motorcycle, and critical injuries to the operator of the second motorcycle.

Preliminary investigation indicated that the driver of the Lexus, Moreira, was operating under the influence of an intoxicating liquor. Moreira was placed under arrest at the scene. The Lexus struck two motorcycles causing both operators to be thrown from their bikes, one man being sent into the trees on the side of the highway.

The first motorcycle, a 2007 Yamaha R1 was being operated by 30-year-old Tyler Moniz of Fall River when it was struck, and he was ejected from the motorcycle into the wood line. The man was pronounced dead on scene.

The second motorcycle, a 2001 Yamaha V-Star 1100 was being operated by a 39-year-old Fall River man who suffered life threatening injuries and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital.

Officers approached Moreira and could smell a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and saw him slurring his words. Moreira then failed field sobriety tests. He reportedly admitted to consuming alcohol in Brockton and was given a blood-alcohol test that allegedly read .17%, over double the legal limit.

The court set Moreira’s bail Tuesday at $250,000 surety ($25,000 cash).

Moreira’s next court date is scheduled for October for a Pre-Trial Conference.

Karen O’Sullivan of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.