Chronic Traffic Offender Charged with Vehicular Homicide of West Roxbury Boy

A Newton man with a long history of driving offenses was arraigned this morning at the on vehicular homicide charges for the  last summer.

Zyoma Vasserman, 49, was charged with motor vehicle homicide, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and the civil infraction of speeding, due to the 17-year-old West Roxbury youth’s death on the night of June 14, 2010.

Surveillance footage from multiple cameras along Wasserman’s route showed Vasserman was travelling at speeds as fast as 59 mph as he drove toward the scene of the collision, according to the 's office. The posted speed limit in that area is 30 mph.

According to the DA's office, Vasserman has traffic violations dating back to 1982 in Auburn, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Needham, and Newton, along with speeding citations in downtown Boston, Brighton, Brookline, Canton, and Dorchester

At the Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Patrick Devlin's request, Vasserman was released without monetary bail. But West Roxbury District Court Judge Kathleen Coffey ordered the defendant to surrender his driver’s license while the case is pending.

Devlin said McInerney and a group of friends had just crossed the southbound lane of traffic at about 9:20 p.m. and were crossing the northbound lane from the median strip when Vasserman’s vehicle struck him, according to a press release from the DA's office.

McInerney, a Catholic Memorial School student, suffered fatal injuries and died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital later that night. Wasserman remained at the scene and showed no signs of intoxication when interviewed by Massachusetts State Police, and .

An extensive investigation by Massachusetts State troopers assigned to Conley’s office and members of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section reviewed the collision. 

Wasserman is represented by attorney Melvin Norris. He will return to court on Feb. 21.