A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to two years in jail after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a Massachusetts drunk driving accident last year, the Patriot Ledger reported.
Derrick D. Jones pleaded guilty to first-offense drunken driving, driving negligently, speeding and failing to stay in marked lanes. He admitted he was drunk when his speeding car struck a minivan head-on last year. He was sentenced to two years in Plymouth County jail by a Hingham District Court judge. He also must serve four years of probation.
Hingham police said seat belts and child safety seats likely saved the lives of the van's passengers, including a 30-year-old woman and her three young children. All four were treated and released at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth.
Jones was eastbound in a Chrysler 300 sedan near the Hingham rotary at 6:50 p.m. when his car went the wrong way on Summer Street, striking the Toyota Sienna. The children were ages 3, 2 and 2 months. Police estimated he was traveling 70 mph at the time of the crash. The Toyota spun off the side of the road; the Chrysler rolled onto its roof and ended up on the sidewalk. Jones and his passenger, a 52-year-old Braintree man, were also treated and released from the hospital.
Jones also faces charges in connection with several burglaries, including a break-in at the Super Petroleum station at the Hingham Rotary, which occurred Jan. 10, the Patriot Ledger reported. Police said the store's front window was smashed and surveillance cameras captured video evidence in that case. He faces charges of breaking and entering in the night, larceny of more than $250, and malicious destruction of property worth more than $250.
Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer Michael DelSignore represents clients facing Massachusetts OUI charges and other traffic and criminal charges. Call for a free consultation, evening and weekend appointments available. Attorney DelSignore can be reached directly at 508-455-4755 or by email.
