Driver Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison for 2024 Homicide of John Corcoran

Junming Zhu, the driver accused of killing a man on the Paul Dudley White Bike Path in Cambridge in September 2024, pled guilty to criminal charges and left the courtroom in handcuffs to serve an year-long prison sentence following a hearing in a Cambridge District Court Thursday afternoon.

Zhu’s sentence calls for a 2.5-year incarceration, but under the terms of the plea deal, 18 months of that term would be a “suspended sentence” where Zhu would be under probation.

Upon his release, Zhu will also be under an order not to operate a motor vehicle, and will be ineligible to obtain a driver’s license for 15 years.

Zhu had previously pled not guilty to the homicide charges, but prosecutors revealed at Thursday’s hearing that they’d recently obtained video footage that offered strong evidence that Zhu was driving approximately 48 mph – nearly 13 mph over the speed limit – when he struck and killed John Corcoran on the Paul Dudley White bike path next to Memorial Drive.

Thursday’s court hearing resolved a “disparate plea,” which means that Zhu was prepared to plead guilty to the charges, but he and his attorneys disagreed with prosecutors about what his sentence should be.

Prosecutors were seeking a 2.5 year sentence, 18 months of which would be served in a prison, and the final year of which would have been suspended for two years on the condition of good behavior upon Zhu’s release.

Zhu and his attorneys were seeking a 2-year probation instead.

Family members offer emotional testimony

Thursday’s hearing in the Cambridge District Court also gave family members an opportunity to tell the court how devastating Corcoran’s death had been to them.

“I stand before the court as an absolutely heartbroken man,” said Corcoran’s older brother, Philip Corcoran. “My life has been destroyed by the loss of my brother. Our family in court stands before you today as an absolutely heartbroken family. I beseech the court to deliver justice for John.”

“When I have children, they’ll never know their warm and loving grandfather,” said Jack Corcoran, the victim’s son. “The defendant deprived my family of a man who wanted nothing more than to be part of their lives – our lives.”

The family spoke in particular about how punishing the legal system had been in the years since Corcoran’s death.

“For two years, we’ve endured the exhausting uncertainty of these criminal proceedings. It’s been impossible to escape this,” said Jack Corcoran.

Corcoran’s wife, Barbara Bower, expressed frustration that the maximum sentence for the state’s homicide by negligence charge – a misdemeanor – is only 2.5 years.

“2.5 years isn’t enough for taking away a person’s life like this,” said Bower.

“In addition to all this grief, there’s this other bucket of anxiety, the fear of injustice,” she continued, as she broke into tears. “You alone have all of the power to determine whether those of us who loved John, or even those who just like biking or who care about this case, will we have to live with the gut-wrenching angst and spite of injustice for the rest of our lives?”

After a brief recess, Judge David Frank delivered his recommendations for sentencing.

“On the motor vehicle homicide charge, based upon the circumstances, based upon the facts that are before me, I would impose a 2.5 year sentence in the house of correction, one year of that sentence to be served, with the balance suspended for 2.5 years,” said Judge Frank.

On the third count, the marked lanes violation, Judge Frank recommended a “responisble file,” meaning that the charge would be filed without further action if the defendant meets certain conditions. 

“The conditions would be that the defendant would forfeit his drivers license, suffer a 15 year loss of license, be under an order not to operate a motor vehicle, and be under an order to complete a National Highway Safety course,” said Judge Frank.

After another brief recess, during which Zhu conferred with his attorneys, Zhu agreed to plead guilty under the court’s proposed terms. As the court recessed, bailiffs led him out of the courtroom in handcuffs.