James Lamb (Karyn Regal/WBZ NewsRadio)
WOBURN (WBZ NewsRadio) — Lynnway Auto Auction House President James Lamb plead not guilty to five counts of manslaughter in connection with the fatal crash at the auction house in 2017.
Appearing in Middlesex Superior Court Thursday James Lamb was released on personal recognizance.
The case has been moved to July 11.
According to authorities Lamb, who was responsible for day-to-day operations, was “aware of shortfalls in the safety measures” at the Billerica auction house and failed “to take appropriate actions that could have prevented the death of five people.”
Read Full Indictment Below
Additionally, the company failed to ensure that all drivers were properly licensed and trained.
On May 3, 2017, a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 76-year-old employee accelerated out of control on the auction floor killing five and injuring nine.
According to Ryan, investigators determined that the Jeep reached speeds of 32mph inside the building going from one end to the other in under 4 seconds before finally crashing through a cinderblock wall.
The victims, Pantaleon Santos, and Leezandra Aponte were pronounced dead at the scene.
Brenda Lopez, Elliott Rowlands, Jr., and Ruben Espaillat were taken to an area hospital where they later died.
Six months after the crash, federal workplace safety regulators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the auction house for numerous hazards.
Lynnway agreed to pay $200,000 in penalties and also agreed to add several safety measures, including the installation of barriers in the auto auction area.
However, investigators learned that a similar accident happened in 2014 where a worker was seriously injured and that Lamb “failed to implement safety measures.”
“Even though James Lamb signed the certification of corrective action worksheet and abatement letter on behalf of Lynnway in response to the 2014 incident, safety measures were not fully implemented,” authorities say.
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