Man admits his guilt in February car crash
A man walked through a Monroe County courtroom with a cane Friday and pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter in a February drunken-driving crash that killed a single mother and broke both of his legs.
Daniel Tewksbury, 33, received a six-month jail sentence and five years probation.
According to court documents, Tewksbury was driving southbound on the northbound lane of Interstate 390 near East Henrietta Road on Feb. 24. At about 10:45 p.m., his vehicle crashed head-on with a minivan driven by Nancy DeCarr, a widow from Greece.
DeCarr, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene.
In addition to his broken legs, Tewksbury also sustained injuries to his arms and wrist, said his lawyer, Barry Covert.
Tewksbury’s blood alcohol content was 0.2 percent, said Assistant District Attorney Perry Duckles.
A surveillance video from a correctional facility on East Henrietta Road appeared to show a vehicle that may have been Tewksbury’s entering I-390 on an exit ramp, Duckles said.
However, the video was “grainy,” Duckles said, and there were no eyewitnesses or physical evidence.
“Without any other evidence, I think it would be a tough sell to a jury,” Duckles said.
He said the plea agreement forced Tewksbury to admit his guilt and further exonerated DeCarr, whom investigators initially suspected was responsible for the crash.
Covert said Tewksbury agreed to the plea because “he wants to take responsibility and allow closure hopefully for the DeCarr family.”
DeCarr’s mother, Joyce DeCarr, said Friday that she would have liked to have seen more jail time for Tewksbury but was satisfied with the agreement.
“I just wish people would realize when they get behind the wheel of a car that it’s not a toy,” she said. “It’s an instrument of death if not used correctly.”
