Commonwealth v. Barbuto

A District Court judge allowed the defendant’s pretrial motion to dismiss a motor vehicle complaint in three counts because of a delay in the issuance of citations. The defendant was charged with failing to keep within marked lanes, driving to endanger, and leaving the scene of an accident after causing personal injury. We reverse and reinstate the complaint.

We take the facts from the judge’s brief findings, supplemented by undisputed evidence in the record. On May 29, 1984, a collision occurred in Wayland between a vehicle being driven by the defendant and a vehicle being driven by one…