Woman gets 60 days in jail for South Boston crash that killed toddler in stroller

BOSTON — “I often find myself wondering what was so important that day that Ms. Casey couldn’t be bothered to look left before crossing L street,” said Kerri McGrath, Colin’s mother.

McGrath was one of ten family members who stood up in court to share memories of two-year-old Colin McGrath before Charlene Casey was sentenced for causing his death.

“I will never see my son grow up, graduate, start a life of his own, I will never dance with him at his wedding,” said McGrath.

Casey was sentenced to 60 days in jail and her license will be suspended for 15 years after she was found guilty of negligence in the crash that killed Colin.

“We spend every Sunday at a cemetery instead of a soccer field,” said McGrath.

The jury found Casey failed to yield to a van in South Boston in the summer of 2018, causing the deadly chain reaction crash.

“I now walk down the street and I hear a car rev up, and I freeze with fear,” said Tracey Lewis, Colin’s nanny at the time.

Lewis was the one walking him in a stroller along with his sister that day when they were struck.

Colin’s sister was also injured.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Colin, it pains me that Sloane doesn’t get to grow up with Colin,” said Lewis.

Colin’s family urged the judge to give Casey jail time since they believe she didn’t show remorse for his death.

But Casey’s lawyer argues that’s not true.

“She’s devastated, she’s been devastated since day one, for people to get up their one after another and talk about what a horrendous person and she has no feelings,” said Steven Boozang, Casey’s attorney. “All that is absolutely wrong, it’s not who she is, it’s not who she’s ever been.”

“Because she couldn’t be bothered to look left, my husband and I are shells of ourselves, at times question whether we could go on living a whole rest of our life without him,” said McGrath.

Since McGrath’s death, the family started “Colin’s Joy Project,” which is focused on giving back and creating joy for children and families in Boston. Colin’s Joy Project at the Boston Foundation will be used to make grants that will rebuild local play spaces and fund family-focused programming.

To learn more about Colin’s Joy Project click here.

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