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    Text messages focus of first day’s testimony in trial connected to deadly 2022 crash

    By Jake HolterMelanie DaSilvaElizabeth Turley,

    1 day ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Pk4od_0ui8c7z000

    WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Tuesday was day two of the trial of Alicia Peckham , who’s charged in connection with a deadly hit-and-run crash back in 2022.

    Both sides were allowed to give opening statements before the prosecution began the first day of testimony.

    Peckham is accused of picking up her then-boyfriend, Aramis Segura, after the crash on I-95 South that killed 17-year-old Olivia Passaretti , and then knowingly hiding him from police.

    In court, state prosecutors read text messages that Peckham allegedly sent the night of the crash, where she claims to have pulled over on I-95 after thinking she saw Segura’s car involved in an accident.

    “I pulled over because I thought he was there. But then they told me he ran,” Peckham allegedly wrote in a text to Segura’s sister. “So they showed me the Benz, and I said, no, it’s not ours. But it is.”

    Police believe Segura was speeding when he hit Passaretti’s car from behind while she was driving home early on New Year’s Day. The impact forced her car off the highway and down an embankment, where it hit a tree and rolled over. Segura allegedly fled, while Passaretti was pronounced dead at the scene.

    State police testified that Peckham had told them the Mercedes-Benz involved in the accident did not belong to Segura.

    “We walked back there and then I said to [Peckham], ‘Are you sure that’s not his car?'” Rhode Island State Police Trooper Dean Marr testified. “She said, ‘Yep, nope, definitely not.'”

    Assistant Attorney General John Corrigan said Peckham then told Segura’s sister, “I need to find him. He’s in the woods and the laws are looking for him. The police can’t know it was him.”

    Prosecutors said Peckham helped her then-boyfriend escape and lied to police again when they arrived at the couple’s Charlestown home, telling them Segura was not there. He was ultimately found hiding under a bed in the home and taken into custody.

    BACKGROUND: RI State Police arrest man who fled crash that killed teenager

    The defense argued that Peckham’s role in the case was minimal and that she was “fully cooperative with police” after Segura’s arrest, even voluntarily talking with police during the investigation.

    “Ultimately, because of these two lies — ‘That’s not his car.’ ‘No, he’s not home.’ — Alicia is charged with all of these crimes,” defense attorney Frank Orabona said.

    Peckham is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death as an aider and abettor, harboring a criminal, misprision of a felony and obstruction of justice. Her trial continues on Wednesday.

    Passaretti’s family spoke to 12 News outside of court again on Tuesday.

    “There’s so much that could be said for how much we have gone through,” her mother Janine Passaretti-Molloy said. “We just want to see the judicial system do what it needs to do and stop protecting any criminals here.”

    WATCH : Olivia Passaretti’s family speaks outside court (Story continues below.)

    “I’m feeling pretty hopeful that it’ll be the outcome we’re hoping for,” Passaretti’s sister Victoria told 12 News after the first day of testimony. “I’m just hoping that justice is served.”

    It’s unclear when Segura’s trial will begin, but he has a pretrial conference scheduled for Aug. 23.

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