DIXFIELD – A Dixfield man, whom police say caused Saturday’s three-car accident on Route 2 in Dixfield, was on probation from a 1999 conviction for vehicular manslaughter, and driving with a suspended license.
Additionally, Christopher M. Jasud, 30, had been released from Oxford County Jail in Paris 10 days before the accident, according to his probation officer, Michael Downs in Rumford.
“He could be the poster boy for Tina’s Law,'” Downs said on Wednesday afternoon of L.D. 1906, a legislative proposal aimed at curbing Maine’s worst drivers. The proposed law was based a turnpike accident in July 2005, where Tina Turcotte of Scarborough was killed when a tractor-trailer, driven by Scott Hewitt of Caribou, crashed into the rear of her car. Hewitt had 60 driving convictions and 23 license suspensions.
Dixfield Patrolman Rusty Daley said Jasud had 10 convictions for vehicle-related incidents and six license suspensions.
Downs said Jasud pleaded guilty on March 5, 1999, to Class A felony manslaughter and operating under the influence, a Class C felony, charges stemming from the death of Jasud’s best friend, Seth Giberson, 25, of Rumford.
On May 23, 1998, in Byron, Giberson was a passenger in a van driven by Jasud, which went off Route 17 and hit a tree while the pair and two others were returning from a night of partying in Rangeley.
Jasud was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison, with all but 5 years suspended on the manslaughter charge, and three years in prison on the OUI charge, Downs said; the latter was to be served concurrently.
He was released from the Maine State Prison on Dec. 19, 2003, and placed on probation for six years.
But, Downs said, Jasud “took off after five months,” and was found nine months later, charged and convicted of a probation violation.
On Jan. 27, 2006, Jasud was sentenced to three months in Oxford County Jail, Downs said.
At that point, he added, Justice Robert Crowley warned Jasud that should he again violate probation and end up in court, he would be returned to prison to serve the remainder of the manslaughter conviction.
That’s why, Downs said, he believes Jasud accelerated away from Daley Saturday afternoon in Dixfield.
“As soon as he’s well enough, he goes to jail. I’ll be pushing for 6 years, because he almost killed two other people,” Downs said.
“He knew exactly that it was against the law for him to drive a vehicle,” he added.
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