WOBURN, Mass. — Lynn Schettino, of Saugus, fought back tears as she spoke about her son. Thirty-seven-year-old Angelo Schettino—born with a genetic disorder that later left him paralyzed—was heading home from an eye appointment in a wheelchair van when the vehicle was struck head-on.
“When I saw him, he was cold,” Schettino told Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel. “His large intestines [were] severed, severed right in half. And this was from this accident.”
Schettino, a former Special Olympian, never recovered from his injuries and died in the hospital 31 days after the crash. For the Schettino family, the tragedy of the crash was only the beginning. New revelations have led to accusations of a possible cover-up by the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) to protect one of their own: Sergeant Scott Quigley.
A “Medical Incident” or a Crime?
Shortly before 5 p.m. on December 12, 2023, Quigley—a 41-year-old homicide detective assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office—was behind the wheel of an unmarked State Police Ford Escape. According to an MSP crash report, he crossed the center line on Lexington St. and veered into the van.
The initial investigation, conducted by MSP Sgt. Jennifer Penton, characterized the crash as a “medical incident” where Quigley was only “partially at fault.” Penton—who was recently charged with involuntary manslaughter and perjury in an unrelated boxing death of recruit Enrique Delgado Garcia, at the MSP academy in New Braintree —issued Quigley a written warning for a marked lanes violation.
An internal “Cruiser Crash Review Form” obtained by 25 Investigates shows two high-ranking MSP supervisors signed off on Quigley’s original explanation that he felt “fatigued and lightheaded” and was “unable to recall” why he left his lane.
This was Quigley’s 8th cruiser crash since December 2012, according to an MSP “Cruiser Crash Driver History” report. Quigley was found to be ‘at fault” in only one of the previous 7 crashes, according to the report.
Defense Points to Military and Police Service
In a statement to 25 Investigates, Quigley’s attorney, Christina Pujals Ronan of the Yannetti Criminal Law firm emphasized his career of service and maintained that the incident was an accident, not a crime.
“Sergeant Quigley has consistently maintained that this was an unfortunate and tragic accident — not a criminal act,” the statement read. “He has cooperated with investigators and remains confident that the objective evidence will ultimately support his account of what occurred.”
The defense highlighted Quigley’s nearly seventeen years in law enforcement and his status as a U.S. Army veteran who deployed to Afghanistan. According to his attorney, Quigley has never been the subject of disciplinary proceedings during his military or police career. The statement added that Quigley and his family “remain deeply saddened by the loss of life and extend their sincere sympathy to the Schettino family.”
The .11 Disclosure
The medical fluke narrative remains under intense fire. Questions about the crash began to surface in an unrelated murder trial in Lowell. Because Quigley was the lead investigator on that case, Middlesex County prosecutors are required to disclose any issues impacting his credibility.
A court filing by MSP Deputy Chief Legal Counsel Siobhan E. Kelly revealed a bombshell: Quigley admitted to a supervisor his concern over hospital records suggesting he had a blood alcohol level of .11—well above the legal limit of .08. Kelly confirmed the department reviewed medical documentation that “supports” these disclosures.
“If you are drinking on the job and you kill somebody, you’re responsible,” said Michael F. Mahoney, the attorney representing the Schettino family. “They dug a hole, and now they’re all scrambling to try and get out of it.”
The Search for Accountability
For Lynn Schettino, the delay in justice feels like a secondary assault. It took more than a year for the State Police to even release Quigley’s identity to her legal team, said attorney Mahoney.
“You or I would be in jail,” Lynn said. “Being intoxicated and hurting people with your vehicle—we would be in jail,”
As a result of the recent disclosure, State Police spokesperson said the department has suspended Quigley without pay, and the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office has launched a criminal investigation. The crash occurred prior to Colonel Geoffrey Noble’s appointment, and he has ordered a “comprehensive review” of all events related to the incident.
As the criminal probe intensifies, the Schettino family’s wrongful death lawsuit moves forward, seeking to identify exactly who within the MSP knew about the toxicology reports while the crash was being dismissed as a medical emergency.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW