LYNN ? Saugus police reports available in Lynn District Court this morning indicate 18-year-old Jonathan Caruso admitted he had drank 10 beers prior to Saturday morning’s accident that killed Carol Marean.
Caruso today pleaded innocent to motor vehicle homicide, operating under the influence and a minor transporting alcohol charges, after allegedly killing Marean and seriously injuring her 41-year-old daughter, Charlotte, during an early morning, post-prom crash Saturday.
Details of the accident were available in patrolmen Matthew Donahue’s report, which indicated when Donahue arrived at the scene, he saw one of the two passengers in Caruso’s car, Rosa Palomba, 18, with her head on Caruso’s lap. Palomba was crying and said, “We killed that person,” adding, “Yes, we’re going to take responsibility.”
Donahue saw Marean coverd with a sheet and saw Charlotte, who is currently listed in critical condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, “screaming, crying in pain.”
Donahue questioned Caruso, who said “I must have fallen asleep at the wheel.”
According to Donahue’s report, Caruso thought he had hit a stop sign, but the other teen in the car, Christopher Baldwin, 19, told police he told Caruso, “You just hit two people.”
Caruso, according to Donahue, failed a field sobriety test for balance and other checks. The test was administered as a crowd gathered at the corner at Essex and Grove streets. Those in the crowd yelled, “They killed that person and they should be punished.”
Police found four beer cans in the trunk of the grey Chevrolet Cavalier. Once administered a brethalyzer test at the Saugus Police Station, Caruso blew a .02, but assistant district Attorney Christina Ronan said that by “extrapolation,” his blood alcohol level could have been .06 at the time of the accident.
Ronan also read neighbors accounts describing how the three high schoolers initially fled the scene of the accident, only to halt after being told that the police were coming.
Defense Attorney Patrick Troy sought $5,000 cash bail for Caruso, but Judge Michael Lauranzano assigned $7,500 bail and ordered Caruso to maintain a 7 p.m. curfew. He also had to surrender his driver’s license and is going to be subject to random drug and alcohol checks. He is confined to his home until his next schedule court appearance July 7.
It remains unknown where the teens were partying after the school-sponsored, alcohol-free, post-prom party let out at 4 a.m.
Ronan said additonal charges could be filed, without specifiying whom they might be against.
Saugus Police Spokesman Lt. Lenny Campanello did not rule out the possibility that an adult could be charged under the state host liability law that makes adults responsible for minors drinking in their homes.
“We’re vigorously pursuing that,” he said.
Campanello and Ronan declined to provide any information on where Caruso and the other two teens were drinking prior to the end of the post-prom party and the 7:30 a.m. accident.
“We’re not giving out that information at this time,” Campanello said.
