Matthew Turgeon survived a car crash that killed his friend last summer.
By Lisa Chmelecki
Staff writer

AUBURN – A 24-year-old Canton man was sentenced to 18 months in prison Friday for causing a car accident that killed his college buddy.

Matthew Turgeon was originally charged with manslaughter and criminal operating under the influence in connection with the Aug. 15 crash that killed his only passenger, Timothy Smith.

But the state agreed to drop the manslaughter charge in exchange for a guilty plea to the criminal-driving charge.

Dressed in a suit and tie and escorted by his family, Turgeon appeared in Androscoggin County Superior Court Friday afternoon to enter the plea.

Justice Ellen Gorman sentenced him to five years in prison with all but 18 months suspended followed by four years of probation.

As a condition of his probation, Turgeon will be required to spend 120 hours speaking to young drivers about his experience.

“I already feel like I am serving a life sentence for the death of my friend,” Turgeon said, before the judge announced his sentence. “I only hope to serve as an example to others.”

Turgeon and Smith attended college together in upstate New York. They came to Maine last August for a camping and rafting trip.

At about 10:15 p.m. on Aug. 15, they were driving in Turgeon’s BMW along Harlow Hill Road in Turner after picking up beer and lobsters.

They were heading back to Turgeon’s house in Canton when Turgeon sped through the stop sign at the intersection of Route 219 and lost control of the car.

After crashing through several trees, the car flipped over and landed on a rock.

Smith was declared dead at the scene. He was 21.

According to Deputy District Attorney Craig Turner, investigators estimated that Turgeon was driving about 75 mph before crashing, and a test indicated that his blood-alcohol level was .09, barely over the legal limit of .08.

“Certainly we are not suggesting that Mr. Turgeon was falling down drunk,” Turner said in court Friday.

“This accident was caused by combination of speed and alcohol.”

Smith’s parents drove from their home in New Jersey to attend the court hearing. Joan Smith told the judge that her son wanted to be a teacher. She described him as warm, loving, smart and easy-going.

“There is no life at the end of the day,” she said, sobbing.

Turgeon apologized to the Smiths before heading off to prison. He told them that the entire ordeal would have been much worse if it wasn’t for them and his own family.

“If I could trade places with him, I would,” he said. “If I could take back the events of the night, I would.”

lchmelecki@sunjournal.com