Special to the Times-Free Press
A judge handed down a six-to ten-year prison sentence for an East Boston man convicted of manslaughter in a 2019 drunk driving crash that killed one woman and seriously injured another, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Katie Rayburn sentenced Dylan Etheridge, 26, to six to ten years in prison on the charge of operating under the influence resulting in manslaughter, plus concurrent two-and-a-half year sentences on operating under the influence resulting in serious bodily injury and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Rayburn sentenced Etheridge to three years of probation following the completion of his prison term.
Etheridge was convicted by a jury on Dec. 9.
At about 1:05 a.m. on May 5, 2019, while traveling down Bennington Street in East Boston at a high rate of speed, Etheridge hit several parked cars, causing his vehicle to flip and skid across the roadway, ultimately hitting a concrete barrier and leaving the occupants trapped inside. Etheridge fled the scene prior to the arrival of first responders. Approximately eight hours after the crash detectives learned Etheridge checked himself into Massachusetts General Hospital to seek treatment. The surviving victim spoke with detectives while receiving care at MGH and identified Etheridge as the driver. Blood collected from the steering wheel at the scene was later determined to belong to Etheridge.
Amber Pelletier, 20, of Central Falls, RI, died in the crash. A second female passenger was seriously injured but survived.
“This man’s decision to drive so fast on the street—in this case, a busy city street—was senseless and perilous and ultimately deadly. It’s a decision that led to unending pain and anguish for everyone involved, especially for the family of Amber Pelletier, a young woman just starting out in life,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.