Scott Dowd pleads guilty in drunk driving crash that nearly killed girl in N.H. home
BRENTWOOD, N.H. - Scott Dowd, the doctor accused of causing a crash that nearly killed a girl in her New Hampshire home, pleaded guilty Friday.
A judge accepted Dowd's guilty pleas to felony counts aggravated driving while intoxicated and reckless conduct at a hearing in Rockingham Superior Court. Dowd was then sentenced to a minimum of 3.5 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.
The sentence begins immediately.
In July 2021, prosecutors said Dowd was driving drunk when he crashed into a mailbox outside a house in Salem, New Hampshire. The impact sent a granite post flying into the home where it hit six-year-old Giuliana Tutrone, critically injuring her. The incident was recorded on a surveillance camera inside the house.
Giuliana was taken by MedFlight to Tufts Medical Center after a Good Samaritan stopped the bleeding in her neck. She had emergency surgery to repair an artery in her neck, a broken jaw and several deep cuts on her face. She has recovered but remains in therapy.
The courtroom was full of supporters from both sides on Friday. At one point, Dowd looked up and looked at the victim's father to say that "today was about owning up to my mistakes."
"I'm pretty happy with the judge's decision," said father Joe Tutrone outside court. "This is a huge weight lifted off our family's shoulders. Big relief. Big relief."
He said it's been an "absolute nightmare that it feels like we've never been able to wake up from. Just happy to see that this part of it is coming to an end for us all."
"I do respect the fact that he owned this and he pleaded guilty to it but I just can't forget the fact that he was trying to get the blood alcohol level removed from the case and if he had done that he may have gotten off," Tutrone added.
Dowd's mother spoke in her son's defense. "Please let him return to treating his patients with the gift God gave him," said Betty Dowd.
The state requested a maximum sentence of 20 years.
When Dowd reaches parole, he will have to serve 120 hours of community service. He has forfeited his medial license.