Authorities release name of Malden teen killed in crash

Police reveal the driver lost control of the vehicle

Authorities on Tuesday released the name of a high school senior from Malden who was killed in a rollover crash last week in Middleton that injured three other teens.

Robert Giardino, 18, died after a pickup truck lost control on an unpaved road and crashed into a wooded area last Wednesday night, according to the Essex district attorney’s office.

Known as “Bobby,” Giardino was a senior at Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School in Wakefield majoring in plumbing and also worked for Powderhouse Plumbing and Heating in Stoneham, according to an online obituary.

Northeast Metro Tech acknowledged Giardino’s death in a statement last week that did not identify him by name.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of our students,” Superintendent David DiBarri said. “We will have the necessary resources available for our community as they navigate this difficult time. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the student.”

Giardino was born in Florida to David P. and Ana Giardino and lived much of his life in Malden, where he loved his dog Snuffy, repairing vehicles, and eating at McDonald’s, the obituary said.

“Bobby was never more in his element than when he was working on his truck and doing donuts in J Lot with his friends,” Giardino’s family wrote. “Bobby was the go-to for his friends, especially when it came to helping them with their trucks, since he had all Milwaukee tools.

“Driving around on an empty tank didn’t stop him from going to McDonald’s to grab a bacon cheeseburger minus the onions, which seems to have been his favorite meal since he ranked over 70k in reward points,” they continued. “Bobby will be forever loved and never forgotten.”

Giardino’s family did not respond to an interview request on Tuesday.

The crash in Middleton took place shortly before 10 p.m. on Dec. 6 on an unpaved section of North Liberty Road, police said last week.

Officers arrived to find a 2008 GMC Sierra resting on its roof off the roadside, with two female passengers, ages 17 and 18, standing outside the truck and two male occupants, ages 17 and 18, inside the pickup, police said.

Rescuers freed the male occupants and provided first aid before all four teens were taken to local hospitals, according to police. Giardino died, the 17year-old boy was hospitalized with serious injuries, and the female passengers were treated and released, police said.

A State Police investigation found that the driver of the pickup lost control while navigating a curve, causing the truck to run off the road before striking multiple trees and rolling over.

Visiting hours for Giardino will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the A.J. Spadafora Funeral Home on Main Street in Malden, followed by a 12 p.m. prayer service at the funeral home, according to the obituary.

“Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend,” the obituary said.

Giardino’s burial will be private.