A Kenyan man was on Wednesday charged with killing a state trooper through reckless driving and under the influence of drugs.
Mr David Njuguna, 30, of Webster County, Massachusetts, denied charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, driving a vehicle to endanger and under the influence of drugs, and driving an uninsured vehicle. He appeared before the Worcester Superior Court.
Prosecutors said Mr Njuguna was “in an impaired state” when his car rammed the vehicle of a Massachusetts State police trooper, Thomas Clardy, on March 16 killing him.
Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Travers told Justice Daniel Wrenn that Mr Njuguna had visited a medical marijuana dispensary an hour earlier.
SMOKED MARIJUANA
“Our investigators found a half-smoked marijuana cigarette inside the vehicle,” the prosecutor said.
Mr Clardy, 44, was on duty and pulled over on the side of the Massachusetts turnpike in Charlton when the car Mr Njuguna was driving crossed three lanes and slammed into his car.
Authorities said Mr Njuguna was driving at 81 miles an hour (about 130km an hour) when he hit Mr Clardy’s car.
The charge sheet stated that THG, an active ingredient in marijuana drug, was found in Mr Njuguna’s bloodstream following a test.
Mr Njuguna, who appeared in court with his wrists heavily bandaged, denied all the charges through his lawyer, Mr Peter Ettenberg.
SERIOUSLY INJURED
“He absolutely denies he was under the influence of any drugs,” said Mr Ettenberg.
The defence lawyer said his client required more physical therapy as he was seriously injured in the crash.
Justice Wrenn ordered Mr Njuguna be released on a $500,000 (Sh49 million) cash bail and be put on a GPS monitoring system.
But Mr Ettenberg described the bail amount as excessive, saying Mr Njuguna had been “totally cooperative”. He is due back in court on June 30.
Njuguna has been living in the Worcester area for nine years.
