Police charge juvenile driver who hit young woman with car
Great Barrington — According to Chief William Walsh, the Great Barrington Police Department is investigating a motor vehicle accident involving serious injuries that occurred Wednesday evening around 10 p.m. on Stockbridge Road near the area of Fountain Pond. A female operator called 911 and reported to GBPD that she had just veered off the roadway and struck some guardrails in this location. When Great Barrington police officers Timothy Ullrich and Elias Casey arrived on the scene, they discovered that the woman, while apparently examining her car damage, was struck by another oncoming car. Her vehicle was disabled in the northbound travel lane with extensive damage from striking the guardrails. Another driver coming upon the accident was assisting her and he told police that a vehicle also traveling north suddenly came upon them. They attempted to run to safety but the female operator was struck.
Police are identifying the victim as 19-year-old Khali Zabian of Lee. Zabian was thrown some distance after being struck. She was transported by Southern Berkshire Volunteer Ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center with serious injuries.
The driver of the vehicle that struck her was a 17-year-old juvenile from Great Barrington who had a juvenile passenger with him. His car also had extensive damage. Officer Ullrich has charged him with operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury. Police have probable cause to believe he was impaired after having used marijuana. Field sobriety tests were performed at the scene. Due to his age, police are not releasing his name.
The investigation is being conducted by members of the Great Barrington Police Department and units from the Massachusetts State Police, including Accident Reconstruction and Analysis, Crime Scene Services, and detectives from the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office. Also assisting were police departments from Stockbridge and Monterey, troopers from Lee, and the Great Barrington Fire Department.
