Boston City Councilwoman Kendra Lara released a statement about her car crash into a house on Center Street in Jamaica Plain more than a week later.
Lara’s office previously referred to the car accident two Fridays ago, which left her 7-year-old son with injuries she said required stitches and caused damage to the home, but Saturday’s was the first statement she has made public. . She did not address the possibility that she could face charges over the incident, but offered an apology and noted that she intends to continue serving the city’s Sixth Ward.
“On June 30, Zaire and I were involved in a car accident on Center Street in Jamaica Plain while driving a friend’s car. I am thankful for my family, friends and neighbors who have stood by us and provided the support that Zaire and I needed to focus on our recovery,” Lara said in the statement.
“As an elected official, I have worked hard to center the dignity and humanity of my constituents. Today, I ask that you also view mine as I work to correct my mistake,” she continued.
According to a police report in which her name was redacted, Lara was driving an unregistered and uninsured car with a revoked license. Authorities said her son was not secured in a booster seat as required by law.
Police filed a 51A report with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families “due to negligence and failure to use an adequate car seat for the safety of the child,” they said in their report. A 51A report is filed with DCF if a person is accused of child abuse or neglect, according to the state’s website.
A DCF spokesperson told NBC10 Boston that it is not providing details about the cases due to state and federal privacy requirements. Lara’s office declined NBC10 Boston’s request for comment earlier this week, though they did confirm the night of the accident that she was involved and that she and her son were expected to be okay.
Lara is due to appear in the West Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court on July 19 for a hearing in the case.
Boston City Council President Ed Flynn has called out Lara and other council members for “troubling ethical and legal failures” in the recent past. He is also requesting new parking regulations for City Hall workers that would require proof of license, registration and insurance for employees to park there.
“In light of recent events, please note that I respectfully request that the City of Boston Department of Property Management review its current parking policies at City Hall for consistency for all city employees and officials. elected,” he wrote in the letter to Property Administration. Commissioner Eamon Shelton.
While Flynn did not mention Lara by name in that letter, he addressed the accident in his public statement the same day, saying that “city residents deserve positive and responsible leadership.”
“We’re not up to that high bar that we should be meeting,” Flynn told NBC10 Boston on Wednesday.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu addressed the accident, saying the process would take place in court and that voters exercise “the highest form of responsibility” when voting. She was scheduled to hold an event in Jamaica Plain on Saturday afternoon.
