Contact: Beth Stone 508-584-8120
PLYMOUTH – A Whitman man has pleaded guilty to charges that he was operating under the influence of alcohol when he caused a crash that killed a Carver man, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced today.
Today, Alec Dowie, 54, of Whitman, pleaded guilty to one count of Motor Vehicle Manslaughter by Operating Under the Influence, third offense and Operating Under the Influence. Plymouth Superior Court Judge C.J. Moriarty sentenced Dowie to serve eight years to 8 ½ years in State Prison for the Motor Vehicle Manslaughter charge, and four to five years on the OUI to run concurrent. The Commonwealth requested that Dowie be sentenced to 10 to 15 years in State Prison.
On February 6, 2018 at 6:45 pm, Halifax Police and Fire responded to the area of 38 Monponsett Street for a report of a two-car crash. Upon arrival, police found a 2018 Dodge Challenger operated by Dowie, had crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a 2005 Honda CRV operated by Richard March (DOB: 08/08/39) of Carver. Both operators were transported from the crash scene for treatment of their injuries. March was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where he succumbed to his injuries just after 9 p.m. that same night.
Halifax Police contacted State Police Detectives with the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and an investigation commenced with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department BCI and State Police CARS Unit. The investigation found that Dowie had a Blood Alcohol Content Level of 0.084 and tested positive for opiates and had metabolites of Cocaine and marijuana in his system.
Assistant District Attorney Russell Eonas prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit, State Police Toxicology Crime Lab, Halifax Police Department, and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department BCI.