Bail denied for driver in fatal motorcycle accident in Gilford last month

Anthony J. Summers, of Goffstown, facing homicide charges after an accident which killed two motorcyclists and seriously injured another rider last month, was denied bail Wednesday in Laconia District Court.

Summers, 32, and his attorney requested $25,000 bail, denied by Judge Laura Lombardi. Around 75 people were at Laconia District Court for the hearing Wednesday afternoon, about the accident during which Summers allegedly crossed the double yellow lines of Lake Shore Road in Gilford and hit two motorcycles on Sept. 20. The accident left an Alton couple dead, and another person in critical condition.

Summers is facing two charges of negligent homicide and one of falsifying evidence after refusing a mandatory blood sample, all felonies. Summers will be held in county jail until his indictment.

Scott Blomerth, 67, and Robyn Blomerth, 59, were riding together on a motorcycle on Sept. 20, and died from injuries in the accident. Their friend, Timothy “TJ” Sullivan, remains in critical condition in the hospital, according to friends of the victims.

Summers waived his right to a hearing to evaluate the evidence supporting his charges. During a bail hearing, attorney Alex Yiokarinis of Russman Law Offices requested Summers be released on $25,000 cash bail, with a condition he be prohibited from driving.

“This is a serious incident, no doubt,” Yiokarinis said. “The outcomes are horrific. There was loss of life. There are, at this point, more questions than answers in respect to a cause of the crash and circumstances leading up to it.”

Yiokarinis said, after reviewing the police documents supporting the charges, there are no indicators of impairment, including slurred speech or odors of alcohol.

“We’re not necessarily dealing with an impairment case here,” Yiokarinis said.

Sitting next to Summers, whose hands were handcuffed in front of him, Yiokarinis told the judge Summers is not a dangerous person, but rather a “hard-working, 32-year-old man” with a wife and children.

Summers has worked as a foreperson for a paving company for the last 12 years, and Yiokarinis pointed out family and co-workers in the courtroom were his support structure.

“If he were to be released, he would have the help of this room full of people to abide by the conditions that this court deems appropriate, should he be released,” Yiokarinis said. “On this day he was traveling in the vehicle with his wife. She was the passenger, and they were on their way to celebrate their wedding anniversary. While the outcomes are terrible and tragic, there was nothing intentional about this. Nothing malicious about this.”

Yiokarinis also said he does not know if Summers' vehicle, a new Ford Bronco, was working properly.

“What happened before that remains to be in question,” Yiokarinis said. “His wife stopped him from getting out and helping anyone based on the serious injuries she observed. She is a nurse. Other cars stopped. He was in shock and had never been in a crisis before.”

Yiokarinis said his client would agree to any conditions necessary for him to return to work.

“Frankly, after having read what little information I have at this juncture, I see no indicators of impairment mentioned,” Yiokarinis said. “What we are dealing with here is a tragic accident, and I believe the request that we have made for high cash bail and the conditions are appropriate.”

Belknap County Attorney Keith Cormier immediately objected to the bail request. He said witnesses observed Summers allegedly 50% to 60% over the double yellow line, and another witness said the Bronco was so far in the other lane, its passenger tires were on the yellow lines.

“This is a vehicle that is coming down the middle and striking multiple vehicles, so much so that he ripped the front driver’s side wheel off,” Cormier told Lombardi. “We are talking about a brand-new 2025 Ford Bronco. This isn’t a vehicle that looked to have any issues.”

Cormier agrees there are some questions left unanswered, but from the prosecution's perspective, once they are, it be worse for the defendant. Cormier disagreed with Yiokarinis about a lack of evidence of impairment, saying he was observed to have “bloodshot” and “glossy” eyes.

“I think that is interesting, because he was told on the scene he had to submit to a mandatory blood draw," Cormier said. “His response was, ‘We’re not going to do that.’ He went as far as to threatening to sue officers if they tried to take any blood from him. They actually had a court order for him to submit to that sort of testing. I don’t think we’ll have to do a lot of deductive reason to why it is the defendant didn’t want his blood taken for testing.”

Cormier said witnesses told authorities while they didn’t believe there was intention to hit anyone, the Bronco was far into the other lane, and he made “no effort whatsoever to move out of the way.”

Cormier also pointed to Summers' criminal record, saying the driver was convicted of driving while intoxicated in 2015, and for a 2023 disorderly conduct charge while driving his paving vehicle.

“I am going to take this under advisement,” Lombardi said after hearing from the attorneys.

As court was dismissed and Summers was ushered out of the room, he turned his head to the crowd, and one person yelled, “Love you.”

Many spectators were friends and family of the victims. Robyn's mother Maureen Grandee sat next to her sister Carol Clancy in the front bench. Grandee was looking at a photograph of her daughter donning a small smile and a cowboy hat, the background picture on of her cellphone, as she wiped her eyes with a tissue.

“It’s like a dream and I’m waiting to wake up,” Grandee said. “My only child. No more phone calls.”

Behind them were rows full of friends with tears in their eyes as the court proceedings took place. Prior to the hearing, they gathered in the lobby, reminiscing about their long-time friends, owners of Spring Haven Campground in Alton.

Lori Tsouprakos was with her husband Kosta, and has been a tenant of the campground for 18 years. They were friends with the Blomerths, as well as Sullivan. Lori said they are “big wigs” in the community. She said Sullivan helped with the creation of Tower Hill businesses, assisting with building stages for music.

“He is hanging on for dear life,” she said, adding a crowdfunding campaign is in the works.

Nancy Pappas, and her husband George Pappas Jr., have been friends with the Blomerths for 40 years, and talked to them every day. She knew Robyn since she was 12 years old, and was the one to introduce her to Scott.

“I’m their soulmate,” Nancy said. “We were good friends outside the campground.”

George said they were with them earlier in day of the accident, listening to their favorite band, who was supposed to play at the campground this month. They planned to ride their motorcycles with the Blomerths to Canaan, but it was getting late, and they decided to sit out.

“It’s ironic that we were going to go and my wife changed my mind,” he said. “When we ride with them, we are always in the back. We would have been behind TJ, who was behind Scott and Robyn.”

Cormier said after the hearing, the judge ordered Summers held in county jail.

Cormier said once the case is elevated to Superior Court, there will be another hearing. His office has a 90-day window to present charges to the Grand Jury for an indictment.