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Easthampton man pleads guilty to motor vehicle homicide in April 2020 incident

Posted on: September 23, 2020 - 1:18pm

Zachary Laviolette, 27, of Easthampton, pled guilty today, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Northampton District Court to one count of Motor Vehicle Homicide while Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol.

The Commonwealth and the defense presented an agreed upon plea recommendation to the Court, and the plea agreement was accepted by the Honorable Judge Maureen Walsh. 

Laviolette was sentenced to three years of probation. The conditions of his probation include no alcohol with random testing, 100 hours of community service, completion of a driver alcohol education program, a fifteen-year loss of license, no driving, and compliance with RMV suspensions. Laviolette will also be equipped with a SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring) device and will be tested for alcohol multiple times per day.  

On April 23, 2020, Northampton Police arrested Laviolette after the victim, Matthew Kolb, 24, of West Springfield, fell off the trunk of Laviolette’s moving vehicle and suffered serious injuries. The incident took place at approximately 2:56 p.m. in the parking lot of 168 Industrial Drive. Laviolette showed signs of impairment on scene and a breathalyzer test indicated Laviolette had a .09% blood alcohol concentration (.08% being the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle).  Kolb, who was transported to the hospital, later succumbed to his injuries and passed away on May 1, 2020. 

The case was investigated by the Northampton Police Department. 

ADA Andrew Covington represented the Commonwealth and Attorney Alfred Chamberland represented Laviolette.

“This was a tragic incident that could have been avoided," Covington said. 

"The Commonwealth would like to thank Matthew’s family and friends for their support throughout this difficult case, and also for their powerful impact statements today in Court. While no sentence in this case is going to bring Matthew back, the Commonwealth hopes this disposition brings some justice and a feeling of closure to Matthew’s family and friends.”