Fitchburg teen dies in crash
Another teen injured; police did not ID second driver
By Crystal C. Bozek and Kate Meyers

FITCHBURG A Fitchburg High School freshman is dead and another critically injured after the motorcycle they were driving collided with another vehicle early Friday morning. The driver, Daryl Boddie, 16, of 46 Beekman St., died while emergency workers were transporting him from the Kimball Street accident site about 1:30 a.m., according to police Max Dean, 15, of 262 Ashby State Road, was in serious condition at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester Friday. Boddie s mother, Kathy, helped him buy his first motorcycle about a month ago. I thought it would help him get to school on time and feel good about the day, she said from her bedroom Friday afternoon. I also thought it d be safer than him getting in a car with a group of teens. Both teens were wearing helmets. Fitchburg Police Chief Edward Cronin said his department will continue to investigate the accident, which involved another vehicle at the intersection of Kimball and Beech streets. Cronin confirmed Friday the second vehicle, a car, wasn t at the crash scene when police arrived, but said he wouldn t call the incident a hit and run. When investigating, we found out another car was involved. We had located the operator of the motor vehicle this morning along with the car, Cronin said. We have not proceeded on doing anything more. It s still ongoing. Police had not charged the unnamed driver at press time. Speed is definitely one of the factors, he said. We ll be investigating whether alcohol or drugs was a factor with all parties involved. We always look at that, especially at that time of night. A group of the boys friends, who have been close since seventh grade, were set to meet Friday night at Cinema World their usual weekend hangout. They thought it would be best to remember Boddie that way. We were supposed to go see A Lot Like Love. Daryl said it was too much of a chick film and he was going to ditch everyone for a different movie, friend Heather Pratt said Friday. She said the teens drove to the Worcester hospital earlier that day to visit Dean, but they weren t allowed in his room. They said he has a broken leg, a cut on the liver, and air outside the lung, she said. He keeps asking for Daryl. But they haven t told him yet. ... He s wicked nice. He cares about everybody. Friends and family remembered Daryl Boddie for his passion, mischief and need for adventure Friday afternoon. Daryl was crazy, the type of person who wasn t scared of anything, said Pratt, 15, a classmate and close friend of Boddie s. She described him as a daredevil who was known for riding his bicycle all over the city before he got his motorcycle. He was the life of the party, all the time, Pratt said. He always had the best ideas when everyone was bored. He could always make you laugh, no matter what the situation. Daryl Boddie cared the most about two things: his X-Box video game system, particularly Halo 2, and his cell phone. He was just a very outgoing person, she said. Not fake at all. When he wasn t at the movies or hanging out with his friends, Daryl Boddie was teaching his younger brother, Nate, 11, to ride a dirt bike. He was a good driver, Kathy Boddie said. He handled his bike really well. The 16-year-old once dreamed of getting a job at either Gamache s Cycles or Sky Cycle, but had most recently had his eyes set on demolition work. I didn t think this would have ever happened to him, Kathy Boddie said. Fitchburg School Superintendent Thomas Lamey did not know Daryl Boddie personally, but described his death as a great tragedy. Anytime we lose a student it s a great tragedy and a great loss, Lamey said Friday. Students are full of potential ... when someone dies prematurely, it s a tragedy and shock for the family. Lamey said the district will implement a grief counseling plan for Fitchburg High School on Monday for students upset by the accident. Unfortunately, we have experience with this, Lamey said. Pratt said she last saw Daryl Boddie as he left for a girl s house near S.S. Lobster at about 12:30 a.m. Friday. They were both staying at a friend s house. They were supposed to call us, Pratt said. We thought they ditched us. ... We didn t know until the morning. Pratt began to cry as she replayed her last conversation with Boddie: He told me he d be back soon ... I kept waiting for him.