Retired Harvard International Law Professor Cited with Motor Vehicle Homicide

Detlev Vagts, 81, a professor of international law for 46 years at Harvard Law School before retiring in 2005, has been cited in connection with the July 8 motor vehicle crash that resulted in a single fatality, according to Middlesex, Massachusetts District Attorney Gerry Leone.

The citation arose from the July 8 motor vehicle crash in Newton that resulted in the death of Marcia Kearney, 54, of Northampton, Massachusetts.

A court date has not yet been set.

According to authorities, on July 8 at approximately 2:14 pm, Newton police responded to the intersection of Ward Street and Grant Avenue for reports of a motor vehicle crash.

Upon arrival, police observed the victim lying in the street suffering from injuries sustained during impact. Kearney had been driving a 2005 Vespa GT200 scooter. 

Kearney was transported to Beth Israel Hospital where she was pronounced dead.  The second vehicle involved in the crash was a 2010 Subaru Legacy sedan, which was driven by Vagts.

Newton police, in collaboration with the Massachusetts State Police Reconstructionist team, immediately began an investigation into the circumstances of the crash.

Investigators determined that the victim was traveling west on Ward Street when she applied her left directional to turn left on Grant Avenue.

As Kearney was making the left turn, she was struck by Vagts’ vehicle. Investigators alleged that Vagts had failed to keep right on the road and his vehicle was partially in the opposite lane of travel on Ward Street.

According to Leone, investigators alleged that Vagts hit the Kearney from behind and struck the rear left side of the victim’s Vespa with the right side of his front passenger side bumper. The impact of the collision threw the victim from her Vepsa. She was located approximately 82 feet from the collision location.

Following the crash, Vagts drove an additional 448 feet before traveling back to the location of the collision.

The citation is only an allegation, and Vagts is presumed innocent until proven guilty, according to Leone.

According to Harvard Law Record, Vagts is a graduate of Harvard College (1948) and Harvard Law School (1951). He is the Bemis Professor of International Law Emeritus, and taught at Harvard Law School for 46 years before retiring in 2005.

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