Driver in Gilford fatal indicted on four charges

LACONIA — Richard Conrod, the man alleged to have caused a two vehicle-crash in Gilford in August which took the life of one person and seriously injured two others, has been indicted on multiple charges.

The latest session of the Belknap County grand jury indicted Conrod, 47, of Belmont, on a charge of negligent homicide-DUI, two counts of second degree assault, and one charge of aggravated DUI with serious bodily injury. The indictments were handed up Thursday.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt. Rather, it is a finding by a grand jury that there is sufficient evidence of a possible crime to warrant bringing a case to trial.

The negligent homicide charge alleges that Conrod was behind the wheel of his pickup truck on Route 11 near Ellacoya State Park on Aug. 28, when the vehicle crossed over the double yellow line and collided head-on with an SUV being driven by John Bonilla, 20, of Lynn, Massachusetts.

Bonilla’s fiancee, Tiana Lozzi, 20, also of Lynn, who was riding in the front seat, was killed in the crash. Bonilla and a 47-year-old passenger, identified in the indictment by the initials A.M., were seriously injured. Lozzi’s and Bonilla’s 1-year-old son, Jaxson, and a 3-year-old toddler suffered minor injuries. Conrod was treated for his injuries at Lakes Region General Hospital and released.

The second-degree assault and aggravated DUI charges relate to the injuries Bonilla and A.M. suffered.

According to court records, police said Conrod was visibly drunk, both at the crash scene and later at the LRGH emergency room.

The indictments state Bonilla suffered suffered multiple fractures, while passenger A.M. sustained multiple lacerations. They were hospitalized at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon for treatment of their injuries.

The negligent homicide charge carries a potential punishment of 7½ to 15 years in prison. The second-degree assault and aggravated DWI charges are each potentially punishable by a 3½- to seven-year prison sentence.

Conrod, a school teacher who was terminated from his job at Holy Trinity School in Laconia the day after the crash, has been free on $25,000 personal recognizance bond. Among the conditions of his release, he is prohibited from consuming alcohol, using illegal drugs, or possessing a firearm, and barred from driving.

His trial is tentatively scheduled for next June.