Massachusetts Man Charged in Crash That Killed Putnam Man

A Massachusetts man has been held on $12,500 bail after pleading not guilty to charges of drunken driving and leaving the scene of a crash on Interstate 290 in Worcester over the weekend that left a bread delivery truck driver from Connecticut dead.

Prosecutors said at his arraignment on motor vehicle homicide charges on Tuesday that Keith Leblanc, 26, of Auburn was drunk when he rear-ended the truck at about 4:30 a.m. Sunday. The driver, Duane Race, 45, of Putnam, Connecticut, was taken to a hospital and died on Tuesday.

Witnesses said the Jeep that rear-ended the truck never stopped. Police followed a trail of leaking automotive fluids to Leblanc's home.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that Leblanc's lawyer said his client should not have taken field sobriety tests because he suffered a head injury.