Roderick MacLeod, who was struck and killed, was a member of the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame
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- A driver with over 100 prior arrests struck and killed a pedestrian walking his dog in Hopkinton.
- The victim was identified as Roderick MacLeod, a 70-year-old musician in the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.
- The driver, Shannon N. Godbout, faces charges including driving to endanger, resulting in death, and drug possession.
- Police are continuing to investigate the crash, and additional charges may be filed.
A driver who has been arrested more than 100 times faces more criminal charges after striking and killing a man walking his dog in Hopkinton on Saturday morning, Dec. 6, according to the Hopkinton Police Department.
The victim, identified as Roderick MacLeod, 70, of 12B Pleasant Street, Richmond, was a talented bass player, who was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame as a member of Roomful of Blues, according to a Facebook post by the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.
At about 7:21 a.m., the Hopkinton Police responded to a one-car crash near 42 Spring Street (Route 138), Hope Valley, according to a press release by Hopkinton Police Chief Mark J. Carrier. When officers arrived, they discovered that a pedestrian walking his dog, later identified as MacLeod, had been hit.
The police believe that an SUV, driven by 41-year-old Shannon N. Godbout of 332 Canonchet Road, Apt. 203, Hopkinton was traveling east on Spring Street when she left her lane and struck several objects, including two telephone poles and MacLeod, who was walking his dog in the shoulder of the eastbound lane, the police said.
MacLeod was taken to Rhode Island Hospital by Hope Valley Ambulance, but “succumbed to his injuries,” the police said.
At the crash scene, officers found that Godbout had “numerous illegal narcotics and packaging materials commonly associated with drug distribution,” the police said. She was arrested and taken to Westerly Hospital for medical evaluation, the police said.
Godbout is facing “preliminary charges” for: driving so as to endanger, resulting in death; possession of narcotics, Schedule I/II with intent to distribute, 3rd-plus offense, the police said.
The Hopkinton police are still investigating with help from the Rhode Island State Police Accident Reconstruction Team, and more charges could be filed, the Hopkinton police said.
Shannon N. Godbout will be scheduled to appear before a Justice of the Peace and presented to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office as a criminal violator for past charges for which she is currently on suspended sentences, the police said.
Her criminal history includes more than 100 arrests, with eight of them from the Hopkinton Police Department, the police said. Godbout has received 40 traffic citations, with seven of them issued by Hopkinton police, the police said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. MacLeod’s family during this difficult time following this tragic incident,” the police said.
The Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame’s board of directors published a Facebook post, announcing MacLeod’s death “with great sadness.” MacLeod was inducted into the hall of fame in 2012 as a member of Roomful of Blues.
“In addition to his time as bassist with Roomful, Rory enjoyed a career of more than fifty years in a wide (variety) of settings including his work as the original bassist for the first solo outings of Duke Robillard (class of 2014); extensive recording credits with Paul Geremia (class of 2013); as a member and producer of Jack Smith & The Rockabilly Planet; and many others,” the post said.
MacLeod also released a single in 1993 and an album in 1995, according to the hall of fame. He taught guitar, banjo and upright bass.
“In recent years, MacLeod had become a guiding light in the roots music community as a performer and educator alongside his wife and musical partner, fiddler Sandol Astrausky, serving as teaching associates at Brown University and directors of Old-Time String Band,” the post said.
