Ashley Forward. — Photo courtesy of the Forward family

Update: 35-year-old William Leger, of Somerville, was arraigned virtually from his hospital bed on Thursday on charges filed by the Essex District Attorney’s Office related to the death Ashley Forward, of Lynn. The charges include: motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, receiving a stolen vehicle, unarmed robbery, driving the wrong way on a state highway, operating a vehicle with a suspended license, speeding, and marked lanes violation. Leger has been ordered held without bail at this time.

The nineteen-year-old woman, Ashley Forward, of Lynn, died of injuries after a robbery suspect crashed into her car on Route 107 in Saugus on Wednesday of this week.

According to reports, the suspect, identified as William Leger, of Somerville, was fleeing from police, who gave chase after spotting him at a convenience store in Saugus.

Police reported that Leger turned south on Route 107 in the northbound lane. Shortly thereafter, the fatal head-on car crash occurred. Forward was reportedly en route to her place of employment, the Target store in Medford.

Leger was taken into custody and transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

On Wednesday night, family and friends of Forward gathered in Lynn to mourn her loss and support one another in their grief.