North Adams woman charged in fatal Charlemont crash

GREENFIELD — A North Adams woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two charges stemming from a crash that killed a 66-year-old Colrain motorcyclist on Route 2 in Charlemont on April 12.

Melissa C. Repka, 38, was charged in Greenfield District Court with one count of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation and one count of failure to yield the right of way in connection with the crash that killed Gregory Herzig. According to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, a State Police investigation revealed Repka attempted a U-turn in the vicinity of 1449 Route 2 at around 1 p.m. and turned the rental Jeep Grand Cherokee she was driving directly into the path of the Harley Davidson motorcycle Herzig was riding eastbound.

Charlemont resident Paul Thompson, who witnessed the fatal crash, previously told the Recorder he and two other witnesses performed CPR on Herzig “for seven or eight minutes before the ambulance got there.” Herzig was transported to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, where he was pronounced dead.

Judge William F. Mazanec III has set a pretrial conference for Nov. 15 and ordered Repka not to operate a motor vehicle while the case is pending.

Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington is prosecuting the case for the state. Repka is represented by Pittsfield defense attorney Alexander Sohn. Attempts to reach Sohn for comment were unsuccessful Wednesday.

According to the Escambia County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, Repka was arrested in January 2018 and charged with two counts of grand theft and single counts of dealing in stolen property and fraud. She reportedly served about 3½ years for felony battery, being released on May 14, 2015.