Crime & Safety
Man Guilty In MA State Trooper's Death To Be Sentenced
David Njuguna, 33, was found guilty of manslaughter this week in the 2016 death of Mass State Trooper Thomas Clardy.
WORCESTER, MA — The man who caused the death of Massachusetts State Trooper Thomas Clardy in 2016 will be sentenced next week. David Njuguna, 33, could face up to 20 years in prison.
Worcester Superior Court Judge Janet Kenton-Walker found Njuguna guilty on four of six charges, including involuntary manslaughter, and misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide.
Clardy, 44, died on March 16, 2016, along the Mass Pike in Charlton. The trooper was parked along the shoulder of the freeway during a traffic stop when Njuguna, driving at about 80 MPH, crossed all lanes and plowed into Clardy's SUV.
Prosecutors said that Njuguna was high on marijuana at the time of the crash. However, Kenton-Walker said there was insufficient evidence to prove that. So he was found not guilty of OUI manslaughter and felony motor vehicle homicide. Kenton-Walker did find that Njuguna was driving recklessly in the moments before the crash.
Njuguna will be sentenced on Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Worcester Courthouse, 225 Main St. Involuntary manslaughter alone carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years, according to state law.
