Jurors on Tuesday convicted the now-20-year-old driver in the 2013 Arborway car crash that left two individuals with life-altering injuries.
Nikolas Papadopoulos, 20, was convicted of negligent operation of a motor vehicle in the Sept. 6, 2013, collision. The verdict came toward the end of the jury's first day of deliberations, which followed three days of testimony, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 3. Papadopoulos faces a maximum of two years behind bars.
According to the Boston Globe, which covered the first day of trial proceedings, Papadopoulos signaled in 2014 that he was prepared to accept responsibility for the crash, but he withdrew his plea after learning that he would be sentenced to a year in jail.
A press release from the district attorney's office today summarized the information about the accident presented to the jury:
Papadopoulos was operating a 2003 Mazda Tribute westbound on the Arborway at approximately 2 p.m. on the date of the crash. Also in the vehicle were three younger passengers: a 14-year-old from Chestnut Hill, another 14-year-old from West Roxbury, and a 15-year-old also from West Roxbury.
Assistant District Attorney Montez Haywood proved that Papadopoulos was travelling well over the speed limit when his vehicle crossed the center line and crashed into a 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck. The truck’s driver, a 33-year-old Dorchester man, suffered life-altering injuries and can no longer move about or communicate on his own. His passenger, a 34-year-old Quincy man, suffered less serious injuries.
One of Papadopoulos’ 14-year-old passengers suffered a traumatic brain injury after being ejected from the vehicle and now uses a wheelchair; the other 14-year-old passenger was seriously injured. Neither was wearing his seatbelt. The 15-year-old passenger suffered less serious injuries.