Current:Home > NewsTruck driver sentenced to a year in prison for crash that killed New Hampshire trooper-LoTradeCoin
Truck driver sentenced to a year in prison for crash that killed New Hampshire trooper
View Date:2024-12-23 16:24:42
A Connecticut truck driver will serve at least 12 months behind bars after pleading guilty to charges Friday related to a highway crash that killed a New Hampshire state trooper.
Jay Medeiros, of Ashford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and reckless conduct in the crash that killed Staff Sgt. Jesse Sherrill in fall 2021.
Rockingham County Superior Court Judge David Ruoff acknowledged that Medeiros had taken responsibility for the crash as part of a plea deal, which he said “brings closure to victims.” But he also said this was a difficult case due to the “profound loss” suffered by Sherill’s family and his fellow state troopers, several whom were in the court in uniform.
“No sentence I impose will ever bring him back or fix any of problems that arise in this case,” he said.
Authorities say Medeiros was driving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 95 in Portsmouth that struck Sherrill’s cruiser while the trooper was working at the site of an overnight paving project.
He will serve 12 months on the negligent homicide charge. A sentence of 3 1/2 to 7 years for felony reckless conduct charge is suspended for 20 years after he is released. If Medeiros violates the terms of his sentence, that sentence would be served consecutively to the 12-month sentence.
Ruoff acknowledged that Medeiros might have faced a much stiffer sentence had he been convicted at trial, though he noted such charges can be difficult to prove in court. Ruoff referenced the case of a commercial truck driver who was found not guilty of causing the deaths of seven motorcyclists in a head-on collision in northern New Hampshire in 2019.
“No one likes plea agreements,” he said, but “what hurts more is, if after a trial from the state’s perspective, the defendant had been outright acquitted.”
“You don’t have to take my word for it,” he said. “All you have to do is go up north and ask the families of those seven victims of that multiple count negligent homicide trial that took place up there a few years. That young man walked of court.”
Medeiros filed an intent to change his plea from not guilty to guilty in November.
Sherrill, a father of two who spent time coaching baseball, had worked in law enforcement in New Hampshire for 20 years. Sherrill, 44, was the 10th State Police trooper killed in the line of duty and the first since Trooper Leslie Lord and Trooper Scott Phillips were killed in 1997.
“No punishment will bring back Staff Sgt. Jesse Sherrill, who epitomized what it is to be a hero. He dedicated his life to being a father, husband, son, brother, friend, coach, mentor, and a New Hampshire State Trooper, New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall said in a statement. “His death was a stark reminder of the dangers that our State Troopers face every day when they put on their uniforms. This avoidable and horrific tragedy did not have to happen.”
veryGood! (9573)
Related
- Democratic state leaders prepare for a tougher time countering Trump in his second term
- AP Sports Story of the Year: Realignment, stunning demise of Pac-12 usher in super conference era
- 3 injured, suspect dead in shooting on Austin's crowded downtown 6th Street
- Vladimir Putin submits documents to register as a candidate for the Russian presidential election
- Wildfires burn from coast-to-coast; red flag warnings issued for Northeast
- Horoscopes Today, December 17, 2023
- A candidate for a far-right party is elected as the mayor of an eastern German town
- Drummer Colin Burgess, founding member of AC/DC, dies at 77: 'Rock in peace'
- Tom Brady Shares How He's Preparing for Son Jack to Be a Stud
- Several feared dead or injured as a massive fuel depot explosion rocks Guinea’s capital
Ranking
- Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter to perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
- Applesauce pouches recalled for lead could have been contaminated intentionally: Reports
- US Indo-Pacific commander is ‘very concerned’ about escalation of China-Russia military ties
- Bad coaches can do a lot of damage to your child. Here's 3 steps to deal with the problem
- 1 dead, 2 children injured in wrong-way crash; driver suspected of DWI: Reports
- Want to be greener this holiday season? Try composting
- Serbia’s populist leader relies on his tested playbook to mastermind another election victory
- Austin heads to Israel as US urges transition to a more targeted approach in Gaza
Recommendation
-
Wisconsin’s high court to hear oral arguments on whether an 1849 abortion ban remains valid
-
Larry Kramer, outgoing CEO of mega climate funder the Hewlett Foundation, looks back on his tenure
-
July 2023 in photos: USA TODAY's most memorable images
-
Yes, swimming is great exercise. But can it help you lose weight?
-
The charming Russian scene-stealers of 'Anora' are also real-life best friends
-
April 2023 in photos: USA TODAY's most memorable images
-
2024 MotorTrend Truck of the Year: The Chevrolet Colorado takes top honors
-
People are leaving some neighborhoods because of floods, a new study finds
Like
- Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
- 36 jours en mer : récit des naufragés qui ont survécu aux hallucinations, à la soif et au désespoir
- New details emerge about Alex Batty, U.K. teen found in France after vanishing 6 years ago: I want to come home