LYNN — William Leger, the suspect in the wrong-way crash on Route 107 in Saugus that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Ashley Forward of Lynn, was arraigned Thursday in Lynn District Court.
Leger, 35, of Somerville, was also hurt in the crash and arraigned from his bed at Massachusetts General Hospital. He appeared via Zoom at the arraignment and pleaded not guilty to multiple charges.
Leger had allegedly robbed a Saugus 7-Eleven convenience store early Wednesday and was trying to evade a police chase when he turned onto Marsh Road from Ballard Street, and drove southbound in the northbound lane. His vehicle hit Forward’s head-on. The 2019 KIPP Academy graduate was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors said in the hearing that after stealing a large amount of cash from the register of the 7-Eleven, Leger drove a stolen silver Volkswagen away from the scene. Police found a large amount of cash as well as two crack pipes in the car.
Leger also had three open warrants against him. He is charged with motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, unarmed robbery, receiving a stolen vehicle, driving with a suspended license, a marked-lanes violation, driving the wrong way on a state highway and speeding.
Leger was previously convicted for receiving a stolen vehicle in 2017 and operating with a suspended license in 2014.
Leger is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing, which is scheduled for June 17.
Friends of Forward held a vigil in her memory Wednesday night at Red Rock Park in Lynn. Thursday, a large section of the wall on the far east corner of the park was taken up by candles of all shapes and sizes, plus remembrances of her life. In the middle of the candles was a green softball as a reminder that she was part of the KIPP softball team.
“Bad things aren’t supposed to happen to good people like her,” said Darlene Basden, a neighbor, who attended Wednesday night’s vigil. “She was a really good kid. I watched her grow up. Ashley had hopes. She was going somewhere. She got along with everyone.”
Forward was on one of the several East Lynn Pop Warner cheerleading teams that made it to the national competition at Disney World.
“She loved cheerleading,” said Basden, “and she loved softball.”
Basden said well over 100 people attended Wednesday’s vigil, “and that’s amazing considering it was only put together after word started getting out that she’d died.
“There were so many kids,” she said. “It was such an outpouring of love. You could see that she was very well-liked.”
Forward’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to pay for funeral expenses. She had been working for the Target department store in Medford. In addition, she was associated with the Boys & Girls Club in Lynn.
“Ashley was a Club Kid, (and) one of our summer camp counselors,” said Katie Greene of the Boys & Girls Club. “Her younger sister is a current member. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy.”
“Ashley was a loving and caring young girl that was taken from her family at a young age in a horrifying accident,” the GoFundMe page says. “She wanted to be a nurse to help people in need. In a blink of an eye, that dream was taken and the family now struggles with grief and worries of properly laying Ashley to rest.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser had already raised over $11,000 of the $20,000 goal.
To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/ashley-forwards-funeral-fund.