ELLSWORTH — A former Maine Maritime Academy student whose SUV crashed, killing four fellow students, pleaded not guilty Monday to manslaughter and other charges.
Joshua Goncalves-Radding, 20, of North Babylon, New York, did not speak, except to answer “not guilty” 17 times, once for each charge, during his first court appearance since December’s fiery crash in Castine. Bail was set at $5,000.
Prosecutors believe Goncalves-Radding was driving under the influence and traveling at between 106 mph and 111 mph before the SUV struck a tree and caught fire, according to the indictment.
Killed were Brian Kenealy, 20, of York, Maine; Chase Fossett, 21, of Gardiner, Maine; Luke Simpson, 22, of Rockport, Massachusetts; and Riley Ignacio-Cameron, 20, of Aquinnah, Massachusetts, officials said. Goncalves-Radding and two other students survived the crash.
The indictment issued last month included charges of manslaughter, aggravated operating under the influence, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, driving to endanger and one count each of criminal speeding, forgery and unlawful use of a license.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less