Trial In Milford Motorcycle Dragging Death Delayed

The trial of a man charged with driving drunk and striking and dragging a motorcyclist to his death in Milford has been postponed again.

In Worcester Superior Court Wednesday, a judge said the court should find an interpreter who speaks defendant Nicolas Guaman's native language — Quechua.

The interpreter on hand at the start of the trial Wednesday said there are 47 dialects of Quechua, and while he knows some, he didn't know Guaman's particular dialect.

The judge said the trial would reconvene Monday to assess the feasibility of finding a Quechua interpreter.

Prosecutors allege the 37-year-old Guaman, an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador, ran a stop sign in August 2011 and struck 23-year-old Matthew Denice's motorcycle, dragging Denice under his pickup truck for a quarter-mile before stopping.

Guaman faces several charges, including second-degree murder.

The case sparked a fierce debate over immigration in Massachusetts.

Guaman's lawyer told The Milford Daily News he opted for a bench trial because he thinks "a judge could view the case less emotionally."

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom.