Plymouth Charter School To Add Grief Counselors After Fatal Crash

PLYMOUTH, MA — The Rising Tide Charter School community is mourning the death of a student this week after 13-year-old Claire Zisserson was killed when she was hit by a man charged with manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol Sunday morning in Pembroke. A second Rising Tide student, Kendall Zemotel, sustained critical injuries in the crash.

Zisseron was an eighth-grader at Rising Tide. Zemotel was her classmate. Zisseron's mother was also seriously injured in the crash.

"The Rising Tide community is heartbroken by the tragic event that occurred on Sunday," Rising Tide Head of School Michael O'Keefe said in a statement. "I ask for help from everyone in the Rising Tide family to pull together to support our two 8th-grade families and all of our children."

O'Keefe said the school was opened on Tuesday for students and families to receive support from counselors from it crisis response team with help from the Riverside Trauma Center. He said the school will also have additional resources available next week for any students, staff members or their families who need help dealing with the tragedy.

A vigil is scheduled for Sunday from 5-7 p.m. at Brewster Gardens in Plymouth.

The crash occurred around 7 a.m. when, prosecutors say, Gregory Goodsell, 31, of Marshfield drove his Hi-Way Safety Systems pickup truck through a red light on Route 139 and struck the victims' car while going more than 70 mph. According to prosecutors, Goodsell, who has a troublesome driving record, told them he "shouldn't have been driving" and did cocaine before the crash.

Goodsell said he was coming back from his company's Christmas party, prosecutors said.

He appeared in Plymouth District Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter, two counts of operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury, one count of having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, one count of negligent operation of a vehicle, a marked lane violation, speeding, failure to stop at a signal and improper passing.

He was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing set for Friday.

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