A Stoughton teen was convicted of vehicular homicide for a crash in East Bridgewater almost two years ago that killed four of his friends, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz’s office.

“There were no winners in the courtroom today,” Cruz said in a statement Wednesday.

After a six-day trial, a jury found Naiquan D. Hamilton, 19, guilty of four counts of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation for the May 19, 2018, crash that left a car crumpled against a tree and his four passengers dead. He was found not guilty of four counts each of manslaughter by motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs and motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of drugs, according to Cruz’s office.

Stoughton Man Guilty Of Motor Vehicle Homicide Charges In East Bridgewater Crash That Killed Four Young Men pic.twitter.com/XGZ6TXpv42 — DA Tim Cruz (@PlymouthCtyDAO) February 12, 2020


The crash happened around 4:06 p.m. at 558 West St. (Route 106), when Hamilton was 17 years old. As emergency personnel responded, three of the teenage passengers were pronounced dead at the scene; one was taken to Brockton Hospital, where he later died.

Hamilton was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton before being transferred to Boston Medical Center.

The victims were identified as Christopher Desir, 17, of Brockton, Eryck Sarblah, 17, of Stoughton, Nicholas Joyce, 16, of Stoughton, and David Bell, 17, of Stoughton. All, including Hamilton, were Stoughton High School students.

“Four lives were cut short before they ever began,” Cruz said. “They were not Mr. Hamilton’s to take.”

Hamilton is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on March 9.