Man Convicted Of Arborway Crash Awaits Sentence

WEST ROXBURY, MA - A man convicted of causing a traumatic car crash on the Arborway could be facing two years behind bars.

Nikolas Papadopoulos, 20, of West Roxbury, was convicted on Jan. 19 of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, the Suffolk County District Attorney said in a statement.

The charges stem from a Sept. 6, 2013 car crash that resulted in life-changing injuries. Papadopoulos will face sentencing on Feb. 3.

The courts proved Papadopoulos was driving well over the speed limit when his vehicle crossed the centerline and crashed into a 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

Then-14-year-old Mark Delamere suffered a traumatic brain injury after being ejected from the vehicle and now uses a wheelchair, the Boston globe reported. There were two other teenage passengers in the car: one suffered severe injuries and the other suffered less severe injuries, according to the statement.

The driver of the pickup truck, Kevin Cellucci, 34, of Dorchester, also suffered severe injuries and can no longer move or communicate on his own, WCVB reported. Celluli is the father of three children. The truck’s passenger suffered less severe injuries.

“These victims and their families waited more than two and a half years for this day,” Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in the statement released the day of the conviction. “Throughout these proceedings, they’ve conducted themselves with enormous strength and grace despite the grievous injuries inflicted upon them. They’ve been inspirations to every member of the trial team.”

Papadopoulos pled guilty back in 2014 but withdrew his plea after an emotional video from the Cellucci family was played at the arraignment and the judge issued a two-year sentence, WCVB reported.