ANDOVER — A Milford woman pleaded guilty Monday to negligent operation of a motor vehicle following an accident that killed a 78-year-old woman in 2022.
Margaret Silvestri, 23, will serve 2½ years of probation, perform 100 hours of community service and lose her driver’s license for 2½ years, according to court documents.
Francyne Fuller of Andover was struck at the intersection of Elm and Whittier streets on April, 27, 2022, about 4:20 p.m. She was rushed to Lawrence General Hospital with critical injuries and later pronounced dead.
In Lawrence District Court on Monday, Erin Fuller King – Fuller’s daughter – described the important roles her mom played in her community and in her family. She said while the outcome did not bring “justice,” her mother would not have wanted Silvestri to go to jail.
“And this is why we are standing here today, without a trial, without a jury, with nothing but a paltry slap on the wrist,” King said in a victim impact statement.
“Not because I think this is what is fair or just, but because I think this is what my mother would have wanted,” the daughter said.
Silvestri stopped after the accident and cooperated with law enforcement, according to police. She was 21 at the time.
Silvestri was also found responsible for two civil violations, an equipment violation and an unsafe operation offense.
The complaint against Silvestri was filed in December 2022. She originally faced a charge of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operator, according to court documents.
In her statement, King described a traumatic series of events as friends and family members searched for Fuller after the accident, including her home, only to eventually learn of her death.
“It was dark. Her new Toyota was still parked in her garage,” King said. “Her salad was on the counter, ready for dinner when she arrived home from her evening walk. No sign of my mother. My heart was exploding out of my chest as doubt and terror began to consume every cell of my body.”
Silvestri will also be required to take a Brains at Risk class.