Father Of Girl Killed By Teen Driver Calls For Change

MARBLEHEAD (CBS) -- A Marblehead father whose daughter was hit and killed in a crosswalk is calling for change.

Allie Castner was walking to a friend's house in August of 2009 when she was struck on Pleasant Street by a teenage driver who was never charged.

A new, independent report commissioned by the Board of Selectmen, is now suggesting Marblehead police mishandled the investigation, and calls for reforms to restore public confidence in the department.

"We initially wanted answers about what happened to our daughter that night," said Christopher Castner. "What we found was an introduction to what they say is a 'culture' not up to par with where a police department should be these days."

WBZ-TV's Beth Germano reports.

Castner has rarely spoken publicly of his loss, that remains a loss to the entire community. He is pushing the town to adopt the harshly worded report prompted by his daughter's death. "We had to be detectives and leaders in getting the message out that something wasn't OK," said Castner.

The report faults police for serious missteps the night of the accident. Among them -- that the officer in charge never responded to the scene for support. Neither did police Chief Robert Picariello which investigators called a "serious lapse in judgment."

Also, it would be weeks before 19-year-old Thomas Larivee of Salem was named as the driver in the accident, leading to the perception of a cover-up. "There wasn't even an investigation. They wanted this thing to go away," said Castner.

Chief Picariello issued a statement saying, "We believe the report is a roadmap to success for the Marblehead Police Department. While I don't agree with every conclusion, I look forward to meeting with the Board of Selectman to determine the next steps in the process."

Christopher Castner says he wishes his family didn't have to lead the way. "We're trying to get Allie's voice heard, that's why we keep at this."

The selectmen meet December 8 to discuss the report. The police chief has been given nine months to begin implementing the reforms.