Woman with 100 prior arrests faces judge after crash that killed Grammy-nominated musician
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Nearly a week after an incident involving the tragic death of Roderick Macleod, a Grammy-nominated musician, the woman responsible appeared before a judge.

HOPKINTON, R.I. — On Thursday, Shannon Godbout, 41, faced legal proceedings for allegedly hitting and killing Roderick Macleod while he was out walking his dogs.

Godbout was arraigned on several significant charges, including driving to endanger resulting in death and possession of narcotics with the intent to deliver, as reported by WPRI.

Currently, she remains in custody without the option of bail.

Due to her extensive criminal history, the case has transitioned from District Court to Superior Court, according to WPRI’s report.

She has been arrested more than 100 times, eight by the same police department that responded to this crash. She has dozens of court warrants for failing to appear and misdemeanors or non-violent felonies, according to WJAR. Police say she had roughly 40 traffic citations on her record. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else over the 100 mark,” Hopkinton Police Chief Mark Carrier told WPRI. 

The Hopkinton Police Department said Macleod, 70, was walking his dogs on the shoulder of a road when he was hit by a car Saturday, Dec. 6. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died. 

Police said Godbout was driving when she left the road and also struck several objects, including two telephone poles.

At the scene of the crash, officers found she was in possession of “numerous illegal narcotics and packaging materials commonly associated with drug distribution.”

Godbout was arrested at the scene and taken to the hospital where she stayed for at least two days before seeing a judge, according to police.

Macleod, who had a 50-year career as a musician and also taught guitar, banjo and upright bass and was a member of the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, was honored by fans and colleagues online after his death.

“In recent years, MacLeod had become a guiding light in the roots music community as a performer and educator alongside his wife and musical partner, fiddler Sandol Astrausky, serving as Teaching Associates at Brown University and directors of Old-Time String Band.”

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