LAWRENCE, Mass. (WHDH) – Prosecutors dropped all charges Wednesday against a Lawrence woman involved in a crash that killed a tow truck driver on I-495 in Andover earlier this year.
Shiina Dionne, 28, was charged with operating under the influence, motor vehicle homicide and speeding after authorities said she 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.
Dionne admitted to drinking “3 shots of Caldwell’s vodka” before the crash, according to a police report, but 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 told the court.
Sabbag pointed out 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.
“The radio transmissions from state police indicated the presence of black ice on the roadway and other near-crashes,” said Sabbag. “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 survived by his wife and two young children. His co-workers said they hope this sends a message to drivers to be more careful on the roads, especially around first responders.
Other charges could still be filed against Dionne pending the outcome of an investigation.
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