WRENTHAM, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Former New England Patriots player Brandon Spikes was in court Wednesday and pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, related to an early-morning crash last month.
Spikes, who played for the Patriots from 2010 to 2013, was re-signed by the team in May, and then released in June after the crash.
The crash happened at around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 7. Spikes was reportedly driving his 2011 Mercedes Maybach when he crashed into a Billerica family's Nissan Murano on Route 495.
Inside the car were driver, Saida Forountani, her husband, Sam Lashgari, and their 12-year-old autistic son, Iman. All were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released, state police said.
When contacted by Mercedes roadside assistance following the crash, Spikes allegedly reported that he had hit a deer. State Police found the car abandoned on the highway's median when they arrived at the scene.
Spikes pleaded guilty to the charge of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in personal injury, and was given a year of probation and $1,000 in fines as punishment. Spikes will also lose his license for a year. Other citations including negligent operation of a motor vehicle, were continued without a finding for one year.
It was revealed in court that Spikes' car insurance had lapsed at the time of the crash.
"This is a trifecta of irresponsibility; no insurance, reckless driving, leaving the scene in a cowardly fashion," said Marc Breakstone, an attorney for the family in the Nissan.
Breakstone said the family is focused on healing and moving on, and likely will not pursue any further legal action because Spikes has no assets.
Spikes' attorney says the insurance had only been lapsed for a short amount of time, and that Spikes is very sorry for what happened and sorry for error in judgment that followed.
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