Grand Jury Issues Murder Indictment For Driver Of Deadly Sharon Crash

SHARON, MA — This week, a Norfolk County Grand Jury indicted a 22-year-old Wrentham man for second-degree murder in connection to a November 7, 2021 crash that killed a 21-year-old from Sharon, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Friday.

On April 5, Nicholas Snyder, 22, of Wrentham, was indicted for vehicular manslaughter - OUI, and assault with a dangerous weapon and was taken into police custody following his entered plea of not guilty. The next day, Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone heard a bail argument and increased the bail amount from the $5,000 imposed at the district court level to $50,000 cash.

Cannoe also maintained the conditions that had been in place at the district court level: possess no weapons or firearms; stay away and have no contact with the witnesses and the victim’s family; remain drug and alcohol-free; submit to GPS monitoring with home confinement, while residing with and remaining in the custody of his mother.

On November 7, 2021, State Police said they saw Snyder's Nissan Altima driving erratically and at speeds over 100 miles an hour. They said they attempted to chase the car, but called off their pursuit moments before the crash.

Around 8 p.m., Snyder entered the intersection of US Route 1 and Old Post Road when police say he hit 21-year-old Kevin Earley's Subaru Forester, which was stopped at a red light at that intersection. Police said Synder's car sent Earley's Subaru through the intersection before striking a Dodge Durango, which then propelled into a Toyota Corolla.

Drivers of the other cars survived with minor injuries, but Earley was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The murder indictment returned by the grand jury accurately reflects that the allegations here go beyond those in a straight motor vehicle homicide case," District Attorney Morrissey said, noting that indictments are only accusations and that the defendant enjoys the Constitutional presumption of innocence. "The grand jury's indictments move this case to the Norfolk Superior Court, and we begin moving through the process that leads to trial."

Snyder was ordered to return to Norfolk Superior Court on July 12, 2022, for a pre-trial conference.