Alleged Drunk Driver's Attorney Suggests Victims Share Blame In Andover Crash
LAWRENCE (CBS) - The attorney for a woman accused of driving drunk and killing two men said in court on Monday that the victims were partly to blame for the accident.
Police said that on Saturday just before 7 a.m., 21-year-old Shayna Fernandez caused the crash south of River Road on I-93 northbound in Andover that killed 62-year-old Francis O'Hanley and 57-year-old Joseph Coppola. The men were on their way to New Hampshire for their weekly fishing trip. O'Hanley's son, Timothy, walked away from the crash unharmed.
Officers said Fernandez hit the victims' Trail Blazer, then the median, then swerved and hit the SUV again, rolling it over twice.
WBZ-TV's Diana Perez reports.
Fernandez allegedly blew a .14 on a breathalyzer test after claiming she only drank two beers that morning at a friend's house.
In court, however, Fernandez's attorney told the judge that his client believed the accident wasn't actually her fault.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Bernice Corpuz reports.
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Defense attorney Stephen Wright, standing next to his sobbing client, told the judge the victims drove into Fernandez's lane, causing the crash.
He also asked the judge for leniency, saying the Fernandez family couldn't afford bail and needed her to help a disabled sibling.
Judge Thomas Brennan didn't budge though, setting bail at $50,000.
