Pittsfield Man Facing Charges in Hit-and-Run

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man is facing charges in Vermont related to a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a pedestrian. 
 
The Bennington (Vt.) Banner reports that Nelsin Martin, 21, is facing a felony charge in the May 8 incident. He could face up to 15 years behind bars if found guilty.
 
The crash occurred on Route 7 near the intersection with Route 346 at about 6:38 a.m. A witness and video from a Pownal school bus indicated that two vehicles were driving south down the highway nearly side by side at an excessive speed. The witness said they appeared to be racing, according to the Banner. A third vehicle was mentioned by it was not clear if it was involved. 
 
The pedestrian, 37-year-old Adrienne Formel of Pownal, was struck by the vehicle in the far right lane, which was either trying to pass in the breakdown lane or was "bumped" by another vehicle, according to witnesses.  
 
The victim was taken to Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, including a broken arm, and had to have her right leg amputated. 
 
Vermont State Police identified two vehicles, a white Chevrolet Silverado and a white Volkswagen sedan, which both fled the scene south into Massachusetts and were last seen on North Hoosac Road in Williamstown. By the end of the day, they had identified both the vehicles and the drivers. 
 
Martin is expected to be arraigned next week. 
 

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Former Miss Hall's Teacher Arraigned on Rape Charges

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Warning: this article discusses sexual assault. 
 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former teacher pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to three counts of felony counts rape related to his tenure at Miss Hall's School.
 
Matthew Rutledge, 63, was indicted last month by a Berkshire grand jury following accusations dating back to the 1990s of sexually assaulting students at the girls' school. 
 
"Today, Matthew Rutledge was arraigned for raping me. He began grooming me when I was 15 years old, a student at Miss Hall's School, and his abuse of me continued for years after I left that campus," former student Hilary Simon said to a large crowd outside of Berkshire Superior Court.

"After more than two decades, this case is finally in the hands of the criminal justice system."
 
Simon and Melissa Fares, former students, publicly accused Rutledge of abuse and called out the school for failing to protect them. 
 
They provided testimony at his indictment and, on Wednesday, were in the courtroom to see their alleged abuser arraigned. 
 
Rutledge was working at the day and boarding school until the allegations surfaced nearly three years ago. Pittsfield Police investigated the claims but initially concluded no charges could be brought forward because the students were 16, the age of consent in Massachusetts. 
 
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