William M. Dotson, 91, died in March 2015.
/ Globe photo
UPDATED, Feb. 15: Berta E. Rodriguez of Woburn, was arraigned Tuesday, Jan. 10, in the March 2015 death of an East Arlington man pedestrian Mass. Ave.
In a case lengthened by delays, the name remained withheld from the public until this week’s hearing in Cambridge District Court in Medford, where Judge Roanne Sragow entered a plea of not guilty and scheduled a pretrial hearing for Wednesday, Feb. 15. .
Rodriguez, 62, who was in court with a translator, requested a Central American translator at the February hearing.
The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Matt Bailey. The defense attorney is Nicholas Di Mauro of Burlington.
The slow pace of justice and the lack of a name of the driver cited in the death of William Dotson, 91, in March 2015 led an Arlington resident to file public-records requests in the case in October.
An initial finding led the state to ask Arlington police for more records, which they did with redactions. The resident, Mark Kaepplein, appealed again, but lost the latest round, as arguments for protecting the identity of the driver prevailed. See the Dec. 30 state’s response to Arlington police >>
The case has dragged on, slowed by hearing postponements as well as the death of a state trooper involved in accident reconstruction.
The events back to March 23, 2015. At 11:08 that morning, an Arlington police officer was waved down by a motorist and informed that there was a man who had been struck by a motor vehicle on at Varnum Street and Mass. Ave. On arrival, the officer observed a man lying in the street suffering from serious injuries after allegedly being struck by a motor vehicle while in the crosswalk.
EMS and Arlington Fire Department personnel responded and began administering medical assistance. The victim was then transported to Mass. General Hospital, where he subsequently died. The defendant remained on scene following the crash.
Dec. 21, 2016: Police release redacted records from 2015 fatal, drawing another appeal
Dec. 11, 2016: Resident seeks records in long-delayed Mass. Ave. fatality
Nov. 13, 2016: Driver in 2015 Mass. Ave. fatal faces arraignment in January
Oct. 27, 2016, Response to reident’s original request for public records in Dotson case
This news summary was published Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, and awaits an updated Feb. 15.
