LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - Prosecutors dropped all charges Wednesday against a woman who was involved in a crash that claimed the life of a tow truck driver on Interstate 495 in Andover.
Shiina Dionne, 28, of Lawrence, was charged with operating under the influence, motor vehicle homicide and speeding after authorities said her vehicle plowed into 41-year-old Daniel Coady, who was responding to a two-car crash on the southbound side of the highway in March.
Coady was loading a car onto his flatbed when Dionne struck a disabled vehicle, pushing it into him. The North Andover resident was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Although Dionne admitted to drinking “3 shots of Caldwell’s vodka” earlier in the evening, according to a police report, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office dropped the charges after learning the results of a blood toxicology report.
“The state police toxicology results were negative for both alcohol and drugs,” prosecutor Brett Sabbag said.
Sabbag noted that road conditions were treacherous on the night of the crash. Investigators assigned to the case were unable to find evidence indicating Dionne was driving erratically before she crashed.
“The radio transmissions from state police indicated the presence of black ice on the roadway and other near-crashes,” he said. “The reconstruction team’s investigation did not reveal any extreme driving conduct on the part of the defendant.
Hundreds of people, including family, friends and tow truck drivers from across the Northeast lined Route 144 to bid farewell to Coady as he was taken to be laid to rest.
Coady was married and had two young children.
Other charges could still be filed against Dionne pending the outcome of an investigation.
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