Suspect arrested in vehicle homicide case
Published on March 6th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA – A Woburn man was arraigned yesterday in the Middlesex Superior Court in connection with a 1998 double motor vehicle homicide in Stoneham. Joseph Costantino, age 23, of 4 Bruno Terrace in Woburn is charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing death (two counts), motor vehicle homicide--negligence (two counts), operating to endanger, and intimidation of a witness. Costantino was arrested on March 4.
On the evening of Aug. 29, 1998, Michael Canada, then age 18, of Saugus, was driving northbound on Route 28, in Stoneham, with one passenger, Jenessa Kirschning, then age 16, of North Reading. According to authorities, at approximately 10:10 p.m., the driver of a Ford pick-up truck swerved in front of Canada’s car and broke suddenly, causing Canada to loose control of his car. The car struck Route 28’s eastern curb twice, before veering across the northbound lanes, vaulting the median strip, and colliding with a mini-van traveling in the southbound lane. Canada was pronounced dead at the scene. Kirschning was transported to the Lahey Hitchcock Medical Center in Burlington, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver of the mini-van was airlifted to the Beth Israel Hospital with non-fatal injuries. The driver of the pick-up truck fled the scene.
In late 1999, an anonymous source provided authorities with information regarding the identity of the pick-up truck driver. In June of 2000, investigators from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, State, and Stoneham police, as well as the family of Jenessa Kirschning, appealed to the public for assistance in developing that information. On Monday, March 3, on the basis of information generated by the appeal and developed over the past 20 months, the District Attorney’s Office sought indictment before a Middlesex Grand Jury. Indictments were returned on Monday morning.
Monday afternoon, Stoneham police obtained a warrant for Costantino’s arrest from the Middlesex Superior Court, in Cambridge. He was arrested Monday night in Woburn, without incident. According to authorities, Costantino drove the pick-up truck that swerved in front of Canada, and caused him to lose control of his automobile. In addition, in Decem-ber of last year, Costantino allegedly threatened a potential witness in an effort to discourage him from participating in the crash investigation.
Costantino was arraigned Tuesday in Courtroom 6B of the Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant District Attorney Nathaniel Yeager. Costantino entered a plea of not guilty and was ordered held on $25,000 bail. He is due back in court on March 19 for a pre-trial conference.
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!