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Framingham town employee charged in 'intentional' crash

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A man who works in Framingham's parks and recreation department was arraigned on charges related to a car crash involving his niece and nephew.

Peter Curtis, a 32-year-old Medway resident, was in court Wednesday related to the crash that happened Monday night. According to Framingham police, at around 7:30 p.m., while Curtis' niece and nephew were in the car, he sped up to 100 miles per hour, crossed over the road and "intentionally" crashed into a utility pole on Pleasant Street near Arnold Road.

Before the crash, Curtis allegedly told the children to buckle up, because they were going on a "death ride."

Curtis' 15-year-old nephew, Tony, was taken to MetroWest Medical Center, while his 10-year-old niece, Haley, was transported to Tufts Medical Center for abdominal injuries and potential internal bleeding. Curtis himself suffered a head wound and was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center, where he was treated and arrested.

Police said the roadway nearby showed no signs that Curtis tried to brake or slow down. Curtis smelled of alcohol and may have been driving under the influence of alcohol, the police report stated. Two small nip bottles of vodka were found in the car's center console, one full and one empty.

"I think that once things are sorted out it's going to turn out to be something far far different from what the Commonwealth actually believes to have occurred," Defense Attorney Michael Brennan said in court Wednesday.

Curtis was charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill, as well as other charges related to reckless driving.

Leslie Biggar lives next door to the children and their mother in Marlborough. She told FOX 25 that she saw Curtis pick up the kids, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She does not believe the crash was intentional.

"He reintroduced himself. I said, I remember you. Except he usually has a dog with him. And that's why I didn't recognize him right away. We stopped, we talked. Very cordial," she said.

Outside court, Curtis denied he crashed his Mazda on purpose. He called it, a mistake.

"It was a mistake, that's all it was. A mistake," he said.

Bob Halpin, Framingham's town manager, said that Curtis is still employed by the town and has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal review.