Mother whose son was killed by an undocumented driver wants to repeal law that would allow people without legal status driver’s licenses

A Milford female whose 23-year-outdated son was struck, dragged and killed by an undocumented drunk driver is renewing her press to repeal a state law that grants driver’s licenses to individuals with out authorized status in Massachusetts as her son’s killer is up for the parole board on Monday.

Maureen Maloney, chairwoman of the Fair and Secure Massachusetts committee, is striving to collect the a lot more than 40,000 qualified signatures necessary by Aug. 24 to put a dilemma on the November ballot to repeal the Function and Household Mobility Act, she explained to Herald columnist Howie Carr past Friday on his radio present.

That legislation will permit these with no authorized standing, but with the potential to reveal their id using documents from their residence nation, to be granted driver’s licenses beginning on July 1 of future calendar year.

Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed the legislation, but the point out Legislature overrode the veto past thirty day period.

Proponents of the legislation say that it would make roadways safer because immigrants, like anyone else, would have to move a test to get a license. With no the law, proponents say, some immigrants — like Nicolas Dutan Guaman, an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador who killed Mahoney’s son — will acquire their probabilities and drive in any case, devoid of any schooling.

“When you consider about it, his everyday living was lower brief by, you know, a excellent 50 to 60 years,” Maloney explained of her son, Matthew Denice. “And, you know, it must have been Matthew who was burying me at some stage.”

Denice was using a motorbike when he was killed in 2011 by Guaman. The driver was intoxicated when he drove by a halt signal, strike Denice with his pickup truck and dragged him a quarter of a mile as witnesses screamed for him to stop.

“Matthew survived the original collision, and it was when Guaman was fleeing that he ran Matthew around, and which is what killed him when he dragged him,” Maloney claimed. “Matthew was banging on the truck screaming for his daily life. Persons exterior had been banging on his truck, making an attempt to get him to quit. He accelerated. He accelerated when that occurred. He didn’t quit.”

Guaman “dragged him to his death,” Carr said. “If he had stopped, (her son) may well have survived.”

Guaman is serving a 12- to 14-calendar year sentence in point out jail for manslaughter even though driving underneath the influence and other prices. But if he is not introduced by the Parole Board, he nevertheless could get out as shortly as subsequent calendar year if he is credited for very good actions, Maloney stated.

“I will do all the things in my power to get him deported,” she mentioned.

Maloney is pushing for stricter immigration guidelines as a member of what former President Donald Trump named “angel families,” individuals whose children “have been killed by people who were being illegally in this place.”

A driver’s license gives undocumented immigrants a legitimacy for becoming right here, Maloney and Carr claimed.