Woman Faces New Motor Vehicle Homicide Charge In Framingham Boy's Death

MILFORD, MA — A Milford woman is facing a new vehicular homicide charge in connection to a 2017 hit-and-run that killed a 4-year-old Framingham boy.

Melissa Knight, 60, appeared in court Monday and was initially supposed to stand trial on charges of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash after causing injuries that caused death and misleading a police investigation. Instead, she was arraigned on the new motor vehicle homicide charge, resetting the trial process.

According to Milford police, Knight hit Jonathan Loja while he was playing outside his grandmother's Water Street home in the evening on Easter Sunday. Knight was arrested in Newton about two weeks after leaving the scene of the fatal collision, police said in 2017.

Knight will next appear in court on Oct. 24 for a pre-trial hearing on the new charge, according to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office. She pleaded not guilty Monday to the motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation charge.