DUI crash leads to jail sentence for Barre man
Toolbox
By Thatcher Moats Times Argus Staff - Published: May 12, 2009
BARRE – A 24-year-old Barre man will spend 30 days in prison after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and seriously injuring one of his passengers.
Matthew E. Shedd was sentenced at a hearing in Vermont District Court in Barre on Monday almost a year after a one-car accident at the intersection of Towne Hill Road and Route 2 in East Montpelier.
The accident left Tasha Pecor, 27, with three broken bones in her back, two in her neck, a broken breast bone, a broken collarbone and scars on her face and legs, according to a victim impact statement filed at the courthouse.
Pecor, who was visiting from Virginia when the accident happened and lives there now, is asking for $105,227 in restitution to pay for medical bills, lost wages and other losses. The judge ordered that a restitution hearing be held to pin down exactly how much Shedd will have to pay.
Shedd was also convicted of drunk driving in 2006.
Pecor was not at the hearing Monday, but in her written statement, she recounted the event and said she still suffers from the injuries.
"This has affected me in so many ways: I am in a brace day to day…I do not sleep through the night as I cannot get comfortable, I have headaches every day…"
Pecor added that she is out of work due to the injuries and wrote a lengthy list of how they have changed her life, from not being able to take her dog for a run to struggling to pay her bills.
In the early morning hours of June 7, 2008, Shedd was driving his Saab on Towne Hill Road in East Montpelier and went through the intersection with Route 2, sending the car partially in the river.
Shedd's wife, Danielle Shedd, was also in the car with Pecor, and the three occupants were all taken to the hospital.
As state police trooper Megan Wells interviewed Shedd at Central Vermont Medical Center, she smelled alcohol and gave him sobriety tests. A test later showed that he had a blood-alcohol level of .113.
Shedd's full sentence is one year to five years, but the bulk of it was suspended, leaving him with a 30 day jail sentence and 30 days of work crew.
He will be on furlough and enrolled in an intensive substance abuse treatment program when he is released from prison.
Shedd, through his attorney Maggie Vincent, attempted to structure his sentence so he could serve it during his vacation time and on weekends in order to keep his job. Shedd said he is a warehouse worker at Hood, where he has been employed for seven months.
Washington County Deputy State's Attorney Robert Menzel fought that request, citing the seriousness of Pecor's injuries.
"Based on the injuries, the defendant is not deserving of any lenience," said Menzel.
After a recess to give Judge Brian Grearson time to review Pecor's written statement, the judge denied Shedd's request.
"I understand she was a passenger in the car and that was her own decision, but ultimately you're the driver. You made a decision and you're lucky yourself, and I guess your wife was with you at the time, and Ms. Pecor weren't killed," Grearson said.
Shedd declined to comment outside the courtroom.
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