LOWELL — A Methuen teenager faces additional charges for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident that seriously injured a 12-year-old boy, police said yesterday.
Michelle P. Medeiros, 17, also will be charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle, passing a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian, failure to use caution when changing lanes, and operating at a speed greater than reasonable and proper, police said.
She was initially charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. Her driver's license also was revoked.
Medeiros, a senior at Methuen High School, was visiting the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus when the crash occurred Nov. 18.
She was returning to Lawrence in a rush when she allegedly passed a car that stopped to let 12-year-old Kelvin Savanhmixay cross the street, police said. Medeiros, of 14 Bernard Lane, hit the boy, throwing him about 20 feet in the air at the Mammoth Road and Route 113 intersection, and leaving him for dead, police said.
She never stopped, instead driving to a Lawrence hair salon and getting her hair done, police said.
She then called Lawrence police to report her blue Acura was vandalized near the salon.
Medeiros tried to cover up the accident by filing a false police report in Lawrence and towing the vehicle to a body shop, police said. The car had a broken bumper and a large depression in the windshield.
Lawrence Officer Adam Goujon remembered the report when he heard a regional police radio broadcast looking for the car.
According to police, Medeiros confessed after the officer contacted Lowell police when he noticed the damage matched the description of the car sought in Lowell.
Lowell, Lawrence and Methuen police went to the body shop and identified the car as the one witnesses described. It had an estimate for the damage on the dashboard.
No arraignment date has been set.
