Drunk driver sentenced for fatal 2021 crash in Dartmouth

The drunk driver of the vehicle that collided with a utility pole on Route 6 in Dartmouth was sentenced to prison on Jan. 3, nearly 3 years after the fatal crash occurred.

Fall River resident Jason Lindsay, 23, was sentenced to 5 to 7 years in state prison for a drunk driving incident on Jan. 29, 2021 that resulted in the death of 18-year-old Jaedin Monteiro and serious injuries to two other passengers, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Lindsay’s blood alcohol content during the crash was .19, more than twice the legal limit. The Massachusetts State Police determined that Lindsay was driving 99.9 mph in a 35 mph zone when his vehicle swerved into a utility pole. 

The collision ripped the back seat passenger door off of the vehicle where Monteiro was sitting. As a result of the crash, Monteiro suffered serious head injuries and died. The two other passengers suffered serious fractures to their necks and backs. Lindsay sustained minor injuries. Nobody in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt.  

Lindsay, who was 20 years old at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with manslaughter while operating under the influence and two counts of operating under the influence with serious bodily injury.

“My heart goes out to the families of all who have been impacted for the rest of their lives by this terrible, yet avoidable, accident,” said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III.