A local man didn't appear in court Wednesday for his trial on a charge alleging that he allowed his unlicensed, impaired fiancée back behind the wheel of his car hours before she struck and killed two cyclists.
Scott Martin, 19, of Seabrook, had pleaded not guilty to a violation-level offense of allowing an improper person to operate a motor vehicle because he allegedly permitted Darriean Hess, 19, to drive his car before Hess allegedly caused a fatal crash on Hampton's Neil R. Underwood Memorial Bridge on Sept. 21.
His trial on that charge had been pushed to Wednesday, although Seabrook District Court staff said Martin was one of several individuals who didn't appear for trials that day. Staff also said that a bench warrant will soon likely be issued for his arrest.
Police allege Martin knowingly let Hess, also of Seabrook, get back behind the wheel of his 2002 Honda hours after she was stopped for speeding near the bridge, even though he knew she didn't have a driver's license and even though police had ordered Hess not to drive.
Hess, whom police have said was on drugs that were allegedly given to her by the alleged drug dealer who drove Martin's car away from Hess' traffic stop, soon after killed two cyclists and injured two others.
Pamela Wells, 60, of South Hamilton, Mass., and Elise Bouchard, 52, of Danvers, Mass., were killed during the crash, while Uwe Uhmeyer, 60, of Essex, Mass., and Margo Heigh, 54, of Danvers, Mass., were injured.
Hess has been indicted in connection to the crash and faces trial on two counts of negligent homicide, two counts of negligent homicide driving while intoxicated, two counts of manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault.
The alleged drug dealer, Cindy Sheppard, 48, of Hampton, has also been charged in connection to the incident.
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