GREENFIELD — A Rhode Island man will spend the next nine to 12 years in prison after changing his plea on 17 charges related to a May 2022 crash that hospitalized seven motorcyclists riding on Route 10 in Northfield.

Ryan T. O’Farrell, 34, appeared in Franklin County Superior Court on Monday morning, delivering a heartfelt statement to express remorse after one of the crash victims showed him the prosthetic leg she wears and said she hopes he learns his lesson. O’Farrell pleaded guilty to five counts of negligent operation of a motor vehicle causing serious bodily injury, five counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, two counts of endangerment of a child under the age of 14 by means of operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs, and single counts of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs.

“This can’t be put into words, what happened on May 29, 2022,” O’Farrell said while addressing Judge John Agostini. “And no matter what I say, they deserve a better apology and to not have gone through any of this. I’m beyond sorry for my reckless actions that day and the pain and suffering that I’ve caused. I’m sorry that my mistake has changed so many lives in ways that I can’t even imagine now, and I never will. Their lives have been changed forever.”

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Thomas said the victims were members of the Raging Knights Firefighter Motorcycle Club, which has chapters consisting of active-duty and retired firefighters across Connecticut. Thomas said the club also raises money for the Arthur C. Luf Children’s Burn Camp, which is set up for young people affected by fires and burns. He mentioned the victims were heading from Connecticut to Vermont to have lunch at a barbecue restaurant when they were struck.

The riders, Thomas said, had ensured that everyone was wearing a helmet, that all motorcycles were working properly, and all licenses and registrations were up to date. He also said the riders assumed a staggered formation, essentially forming two columns of motorcycles as they rode.

“But the irony of the care that they put into it was [that] no amount of care was going to prevent the collision that was oncoming,” Thomas told Agostini.

Thomas said O’Farrell was driving south on Route 10 in the early afternoon in a Pontiac SUV pulling a trailer carrying a motorcycle. O’Farrell was leaving a New Hampshire motocross event with his 10-year-old stepson and that boy’s 13-year-old friend and stopped at a gas station. Jeremy Bucci, the case’s former prosecutor, previously explained the 13-year-old reportedly told police he noticed O’Farrell was in possession of a white powder. The 13-year-old reportedly told authorities that O’Farrell began “nodding out” within minutes of leaving the gas station. Bucci said the teenager knew the term “nodding out” because of his own father’s struggles with heroin addiction. The slang term is associated with the use of narcotics.

On Monday, Thomas said the 13-year-old made several attempts to get O’Farrell to “snap out of it.” Thomas said the vehicle then crossed the double-yellow line and returned to its proper path before again veering into the oncoming lane, this time striking the motorcyclists.

Thomas said Kathleen “Kay” Doherty, who later delivered a victim-impact statement, had her left leg severed in the collision. Thomas also said one person lost their left arm, one rider lost a pinkie finger, and all suffered broken bones and fractures. He mentioned one victim later needed to have his bladder removed and repaired before being placed back inside his body.

The assistant district attorney also stressed that the professionalism and medical training of the firefighter riders undoubtedly saved lives that day.

“Their injuries are lifelong,” he said, adding that they will carry trauma for the rest of their lives.

Thomas also noted O’Farrell was driving with a suspended license.

Doherty used assistance from Thomas and a cane to walk to the front of the courtroom to address O’Farrell. She pulled up her left pant leg to show her prosthetic leg and said she wanted the change-of-plea hearing to serve as some type of closure.

“This is the end of the nightmare,” she said.

O’Farrell sat in his chair and nodded silently to Doherty’s words.

Defense attorney Jeanne Earley told Agostini that her client became addicted to narcotics after being the victim of an accident and that he had been sober for seven years.

“This gentleman is not a bad person,” she said. “He is a good person who made a serious mistake. He has been remorseful since the day I met him. He lives with this every day of his life.”

O’Farrell said he spent a great deal of time writing and rewriting what he wanted to say to his victims.

“Just knowing all of the damage and the heartache that I’ve caused makes me sick to my stomach every time I think about it,” he said, adding that he struggles to live with his guilt.

He mentioned the irony of the motorcyclists and everyone in the SUV sharing a love of motorcycles.

“To all the victims and all the families that I have affected, words cannot begin to describe the guilt, the pain, the remorse, the regret, the embarrassment and how ashamed I feel every day for my actions,” he said, fighting back tears. “The fact that no one died shows how strong each of you are and I thank God every night all of you are still here today.”

O’Farrell will receive 813 days of credit for the time he has been in custody since his arrest. He had been unable to post his $100,000 bail, which was set in 2022. In May, Judge David Hodge denied Earley’s request to lower the bail amount.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or
413-930-4120.