Brockton: Man pleads not guilty in Wareham crash leading to Mass. trooper’s death

A Massachusetts man has been released without bail after pleading not guilty to a motor vehicle homicide charge in connection with the recent death of a state trooper as a result of a 2003 drunken driving crash.

William Senne  was 18 when he struck Trooper Ellen Engelhardt’s cruiser from behind as she was in the breakdown lane of a Wareham highway in 2003. Engelhardt suffered severe brain injuries and spent most of the rest of her life in a care center before dying June 1 at age 58.

The now 26-year-old Senne spent 2 1/2 years in jail after pleading guilty in 2005 to drunken driving. He was indicted on the new charge this month.

His lawyer called it an unusual case in that he’s being charged twice for the same crash.