A manslaughter case against a prominent Massachusetts museum official accused of fatally striking a motorcyclist in 2018 will go forward, a judge has ruled.

Joseph Thompson, 61, faces a charge of vehicular homicide by negligent operation for his role in a July 2018 wreck in which 49-year-old Steven Fortier was killed. He also was accused of a marked lanes violation.

Authorities said Thompson, the founding director of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, was driving north on Church Street in North Adams on July 20, 2018, when he struck Fortier, a motorcyclist heading in the opposite direction.

Fortier was transported to the local campus of Berkshire Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Thompson and his passenger were not injured.

Thompson said Fortier had driven into the northbound lane and the collision occurred when Thompson attempted to swerve. However, investigators argued that the evidence collected at the scene suggested that Thompson had swerved into the southbound lane prior to crashing into Fortier’s motorcycle.

Thompson’s attorney had moved for a dismissal, arguing the evidence was insubstantial for the case to proceed. However, a judge rejected that request, setting the stage for Thompson’s criminal trial to begin in May.

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