Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Rebecca Faulkner, the woman who caused a chain-reaction car crash at a local gas station in 2007 that left one driver injured and killed a woman struck as she pumped gas pleaded no contest to the charges Monday in Newport Superior Court.

In exchange for her plea, two counts of the original indictment -- driving under the influence death resulting and reckless driving death resulting -- were dismissed. Instead, she was charged with the remaining three counts -- leaving the scene of an accident death resulting, leaving the scene of an accident serious injury resulting and misdemeanor reckless driving (reduced from reckless driving serious injury resulting, a felony).

Under the conditions of the plea agreement, Faulkner will receive 15 years, with 8 of them to serve. She will serve 30 months at the Adult Correctional Institutions. Once she leaves the ACI, the suspended 12.5 years of her sentence will begin, the first 66 months -- or 5 and a half years -- of that sentence will be served on home confinement.

On Aug. 13, 2007, Faulkner crashed her 1998 Volkswagen Jetta into one vehicle, injuring the driver and causing that car to strike Signe Larson, who was outside of her car pumping gas at Johnny's Getty Service Station in Middletown. Larson was hospitalized and released, but she died 12 days later, in Fort Myers, Fla., of complications of a hematoma she suffered in her leg and thigh as a result of the car crash,

According to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for the Attorney General's office, the two death-resulting charges were dismissed because the prosecution did not have enough evidence to prove those charges. No breathalyzer test was taken after the accident, so there is no way to prove whether Faulkner was intoxicated when she caused the accident, Healey said. And since Larson, who had minor injuries when she was examined after the accident, died almost two weeks after the crash from complications from her injury, and because there was another car involved, the direct line between Faulkner's actions and Larson's death became a little less clear.

"The facts of this case made a plea and this outcome the best possible outcome in our view," Healey said.

 Tags  drunken-driving Newport Superior Court plea agreement

Comments

jimsrule said:

What a state! Attention all drunks and reckless drunken drivers...move to RI where you can plow down people, murder people, ruin lives and as your punishment you get to stay home and enjoy your "home confinement" complete with big screen TV, stocked refrigerator and all other amenities while your victims families get to suufer their loss in unending misery. Perhapsthe the prosecutors and judges should be made to ride around with the murderous drunks they coddle time and time again. Congratulations Little Rhody, once again you have distinguished yourselves as hands down the most pathetic (and dangerous)state in the union

Link | July 13, 2009 5:43 PM
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EMT said:

Does the AG's office prosecute ANYONE anymore? Every day there's another plea deal being published. What the heck did we elect Lynch for? Oh that's right, he had a "D" after his name.

Link | July 13, 2009 6:29 PM
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Jimbo Hannon said:

It's true what they say about health care in Florida. Not so good ...

Link | July 13, 2009 8:27 PM
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