Eastie man charged in fatal Winthrop car accident

Victim identified as Revere native

An 84-year-old East Boston man has been charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with the fatal car accident in Winthrop last Friday.

Winthrop Police arrested Kenneth Thompson, 84, of Eastie with one count each of motor vehicle homicide and OUI as well as an additional charge of failure to stop and/or yield.

The incident occurred just before 3:30 pm Friday afternoon when Thompson’s car collided with a Jeep at the intersection of Hagman Road and Walden Street in Winthrop.

Police received multiple 911 calls of the car crash and when police, fire and EMS arrived on the scene they observed the Jeep was overturned and the female occupant was ejected from the vehicle. The Hyundai Elantra Thompson was driving was also severely damaged by the crash.

First responders performed lifesaving measures on the driver. She was taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The woman was later identified as former Revere resident Tina Hinojosa. Hinojosa had been living in Winthrop. Hinojosa worked as an accountant for Roof Repairs Corp in Winthrop and was owner and founder of SoulDrink as well as the co-owner of The Yoga Lounge in Winthrop.

“Today, I write this post with a heavy heart like many of you, trying to grasp the senseless accident in Winthrop that took the life of a beautiful person inside and out, Tina Hinojosa,” said Revere City Councilor and friend of Hinojosa Steve Morabito in a statement. “Tina was a kind person with a personality that made it easy for many to connect with, and love. The community lost a friend, and her family lost an aunt, a cousin, a sister and a mom. My heart breaks. I’m sending love and prayers to the Hinojosa Family and Parlante Family.”

A preliminary investigation by Winthrop Police suggests that Thompson’s Hyundai Elantra was traveling northbound on Hagman Road and collided with Hinojosa’s Jeep, traveling on Pauline Street toward Woodside Avenue, at the intersection of Pauline Street, Hagman Road and Walden Street.

The accident continues to be under investigation by the Winthrop Police Department, the State Police Accident Reconstruction Team, and detectives assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.