A woman who reversed her SUV into a farm stand in the village of Byfield in Newbury, Massachusetts, killing a woman and injuring several other people last year, pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday.
Janet Bach, 71, pleaded guilty to motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation in Newburyport District Court Tuesday. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended three years with probation.
The May 21, 2022, crash at Byfield Greenhouse killed 47-year-old Susan Sforza Nico of Seabrook, New Hampshire, who worked at the farm stand her family owned. After the crash, the family decided to close the business.
Among the conditions a judge imposed on Bach, of Marblehead, was 200 hours community service with organizations benefitting children, which was requested by Nico's family in honor of her love for children. She'll also face 15 years without being licensed to drive and was ordered to pay court fees and $8,700 to Nico's family for funeral expenses.
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Bach cried as family and friends gave emotional victim impact statements in court Tuesday.
"Susan’s life was like a thread in an intricate tapestry that was our family," said Julie Sforza, Nico's sister. "When her thread was violently and suddenly ripped out of our family tapestry the strength in our family began to unravel."
Prosecutors said investigators found that Bach's SUV hit 22 mph as it reversed into the farm stand and was traveling 18 mph when it hit the checkout area. There was no evidence of braking, and the cause of the crash was found to be Bach mistakenly hitting the accelerator instead of the brake.
Kristin Kilte was at Byfield Greenhouse when the crash happened with her husband, who was trapped under SUV and had a broken leg and ribs, and their daughter, 8, who had her jaw and a hand broken.
"Every day is May 21 for me," Kilte said. "Groundhog Day, the scene replayed over and over in my mind."
The youngest of seven siblings, Nico worked alongside her father in the greenhouses seven days a week for the last 15 years. Her sisters have said family and animals were two of her passions. She married and became mother to two beloved stepchildren the September before her death.
The greenhouses are located behind their parents' home. The family reopened the business after Nico died to sell the flowers and plants she grew. They emptied the greenhouses at the end of the season.
Nico's family urged drivers to take care behind the wheel in her memory.
"Just be aware of your surroundings, pay attention to what you are doing and don’t take it for granted because in a matter of seconds, someone’s going to lose a loved one," sister Tammy Sforza told NBC10 Boston.
