FARMINGTON — A Kingfield woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to misleading police in an effort to help her boyfriend “conceal” he was the driver of a car that struck and killed Taylor Gaboury, 21, of Wilton early New Year’s Day.
Gaboury was walking along the edge of Route 4 in Farmington when the crash occurred.
Nikita Tolman, 27, entered not guilty pleas in District Court to a felony charge of hindering apprehension or prosecution and a misdemeanor charge of filing a false public report.
A conviction on the hindering charge is punishable by a maximum five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Tolman called 911 at about 1:40 a.m. Jan. 1 to report that a person had been struck by a vehicle and knocked down over the embankment, according to an affidavit Farmington police filed with the court in the case of Tolman’s boyfriend, Tommy Clark. Tolman and another witness were left near the scene across from Franklin Memorial Hospital while Clark drove to a nearby motel, according to the affidavit.
Police also wrote that Tolman “was trying to help (Clark) conceal this crash.”
Clark, 26, of Industry was convicted in July of driving drunk when his car struck and killed Gaboury. He is serving three years of a seven-year sentence and a concurrent one year of a four-year sentence for leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident causing death.
Police interviewed Tolman and another person the morning of the accident and were told they were returning from a party they had attended and saw a boot in the road, which drew their attention and eventually led them to the victim down the embankment, according to the affidavit.
Police later learned that Tolman and the other witness were in the car with Clark and that Tolman saw the pedestrian and tried to warn him but it was too late, according to the affidavit. Police located the damaged car and Clark in a different car at a nearby motel later that morning.
Tolman’s bail was set at $3,000 unsecured bond on Tuesday. Her next court date is Dec. 5.
She also pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to an unrelated misdemeanor charge of operating while license suspended or revoked in July.
Tolman declined comment on her case in regard to Gaboury outside of the court.
Christopher Berryment was appointed as her attorney.
“Having just been appointed, I am unable to comment at this time,” Berryment said.
Members of Gaboury’s family believe Tolman is more guilty than Clark.
“Because of her, he was able to get away and almost got way away,” Ricky Gaboury, Taylor Gaboury’s father, said during a court recess. “Instead of running across the street to the hospital they took extra time to fabricate their stories and allow him time to get clear. Who knows how long it was before they contacted police, and in all that time, it would have taken seconds to run over to the hospital.”
Gaboury’s mother, Tena Trask, said that in her opinion, “She is more guilty than Tommy and she told him to go. She made up the story … She saw Taylor lying there and assumed she was dead and convinced Tommy to leave. So in my opinion she is very much to blame and is heartless, more heartless than any of them.”
Tolman “should get as much time as Tommy, if not more,” Theresa Martin, Taylor Gaboury’s grandmother, said.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
