Jarod Hardaker, the Hubbardston truck driver charged in connection with the June 2023 crash that killed a Princeton man, has rejected a plea deal, and will proceed to trial, according to an audio recording of a February 14th hearing in Clinton District Court.
This case was previously reported by 25 Investigates, who first brought attention to Hardaker’s “oversize” and “overweight” truck last spring.
The dramatic turn of events occurred after Judge Jon Revelli proposed a one-month jail sentence and a 15-year loss of license in exchange for Hardaker’s guilty plea to motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Both misdemeanor charges carry a maximum of 2 and a half years behind bars.
Hardaker, 38, withdrew his plea at the final hour after the parents of victim Jake Brisbois gave emotional victim impact statements in court.
“I go to sleep every night, and the last thing my mind’s eye sees is my son getting hit by that truck,” said Donna Brisbois, Jake’s mother, during the hearing. “It’s the most unimaginable pain any parent can experience to lose their child, especially in such a horrific and unnecessary way. My life will never be the same.”
25 year-old Jake Brisbois, a beloved Walmart manager, was killed on Route 190 when Hardaker’s oversized and overweight truck, hauling a crane to a construction site, clipped his motorcycle, according to police reports. The reports indicate Hardaker was operating the vehicle without an escort or permit, and during nighttime hours when state police trucking enforcement is limited.
Hardaker was driving for Assabet Heavy Hauling based in Shirley. As 25 Investigates reported, an anonymous tipster, who claimed to be a former Assabet employee told state police, that the company regularly operates overnight without permitting.
The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office had sought an 18-month jail sentence, while Hardaker’s attorney, Maura J. Tansley, requested probation, citing his clean criminal record and remorse.
“There’s been a lot of discussion around this. This is not, it’s not a quick decision,” Hardaker’s attorney stated during the hearing, as she announced the decision to go to trial.
Attorney Tansley had previously told Judge Revelli, “Up until this point, there hasn’t been the appropriate moment to express on behalf of Mr. Hardaker, the anguish that he feels and shares in this entire situation.”
The case will now proceed to trial in Fitchburg, with a date to be scheduled later this month.
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