An Attleboro man whose drunk driving caused the death of 36-year-old woman in Norton in June 2020 was sentenced to five to seven years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said Tuesday.
Russell Stone, 63, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and operating under the influence of alcohol with serious bodily injury in Fall River Superior Court. The charges stemmed from the fatal crash that happened on Oak Street in Norton around 3:51 p.m. on June 7, 2020, Quinn said.
Witnesses said a woman sitting in the front seat of Stone’s car got out of the vehicle and started screaming at him to slow down. The woman also told investigators that Stone was screaming that he wanted to die before crashing his car into a tree, according to Quinn.
When first responders arrived at the crash, they found Thersea McNutt, 36, of Attleboro, unconscious in the back seat. She had severe head trauma and was pronounced dead, Quinn said. In addition, the woman sitting in the front seat suffered a fractured spine and three fractures in her left arm.
Investigators later found several empty mini alcohol bottles in the vehicle, according to the district attorney. The bottles had Stone’s DNA on them.
After he was brought to the hospital following the crash, a blood test showed that Stone’s blood alcohol level was at .184, more than twice the legal limit. Further investigation revealed Stone was driving 51 mph in a 30 mph zone, Quinn said.
“The defendant should not have been behind the wheel because of his intoxicated state. His reckless driving caused the death of an innocent person,” Quinn said. “The sentence is appropriate to hold the defendant accountable.”
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