Published: 07/25/2007 Woman sent to prison for fifth OUI By Julie Manganis Staff writer
BEVERLY - A long-troubled Beverly woman admitted yesterday that she was driving drunk for the fifth time when she crashed into an Ipswich family last October. Sandra O'Neil, 47, was sentenced to 21/2 years in state prison, the mandatory minimum for a fifth offense, after pleading guilty yesterday in Salem Superior Court. O'Neil was the only person hurt when she crashed into an SUV on Farley Avenue in Ipswich on the evening of Oct. 8. The Anderson family was just returning home, pulling into their driveway, when O'Neil tried to pass their Dodge Durango on the right, apparently not comprehending that the SUV was also turning right, prosecutor Melissa Woodard said. Driver Keith Anderson had his infant and 4-year-old in the car, as well as his wife and sister. When police approached O'Neil, she said she thought the SUV was turning left - though there was no street on the left side, the prosecutor said. She stayed in her red Ford Taurus, smoking and holding her head in her hands. O'Neil said she had had a few beers at a friend's home earlier in the afternoon. But police found empty beer cans in the Taurus and O'Neil reeked of alcohol - so much so that when she was taken to the hospital, the smell of alcohol filled the ambulance and was noticeable after she was taken into the hospital, Woodard said. At the hospital, she was uncooperative, the prosecutor said, refusing medical tests to determine whether she had suffered a head injury. Woodard called O'Neil a "great" risk to public safety and asked for a longer, three-to-five-year prison term. Five years is the maximum penalty for fifth or subsequent offense drunken driving. Her record includes convictions in May and again in August 1988 in Lawrence and in July and November 1999 in Newburyport and Gloucester. Defense lawyer Carol Cahill urged Judge Howard Whitehead to impose a more lenient house of correction term of two years, saying that O'Neil was accepting responsibility for her conduct. Cahill had also, during a closed-door conference with the judge, described hardships in O'Neil's life - hardships that O'Neil referred to during yesterday's hearing. She told the judge she has suffered from mental illness, including bipolar disorder. The judge said he was moved by O'Neil's story but also feared she would endanger the public.
"I've heard a lot about your story and I know you've had a hard life in many respects," the judge told O'Neil.
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops