A Turner man pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated operating under the influence in a July 2007 crash that killed a paramedic and severely injured two other people.
Christopher Boutin, 30, originally pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to go to trial next week. He changed his plea Thursday and is expected to be sentenced in September.
By law, Boutin could receive up to 30 years in prison for manslaughter and 10 years for OUI. In exchange for the guilty plea, Boutin and the Androscoggin District Attorney’s Office have agreed to a 12-year sentence with four years probation for manslaughter, with any OUI sentence to be served at the same time.
They disagree, however, about how much of that 12-year sentence should be suspended and how many years Boutin should actually serve, Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Worden said.
Although Boutin and the District Attorney’s Office have a plea agreement, the judge will ultimately decide Boutin’s fate. The judge could adhere to the arranged deal or impose another sentence.
Sentencing has been tentatively scheduled for Sept. 24.
Boutin was driving on Potato Road in Turner shortly after 3 a.m. on July 5, 2007, when he crashed into a Med-Care ambulance at the intersection of Route 4. Worden said Boutin was driving back from a party and had been drinking. His blood alcohol level was .16, twice the legal limit.
The ambulance, which had its emergency lights on, was transporting 48-year-old Paula Holman, who had been injured in an ATV accident. Arlene Greenleaf, 68, was driving the ambulance while paramedic Allan Parsons, 47, cared for Holman.
Both Greenleaf and Holman were seriously injured when Boutin’s truck hit the ambulance. Parsons, who lived in Wilton, was killed on impact.
Two of Parsons’ children, 23-year-old Amy Parsons and 13-year-old Adam Parsons, were in court Thursday when Boutin pleaded guilty. Both wore orange T-shirts emblazoned with “Alan D. Parsons: In Loving Memory.” Stickers bearing the same memorial have been placed on ambulances belonging to Med-Care, United Ambulance Service and Monmouth Rescue, the three services Parsons worked for during his career.
Dean Milligan, chief of service for Med-Care, and Chris Moretto, assistant chief, sat with Parsons’ family and with Holman and her family during the court proceeding.
“I think everyone involved was hoping for more (of a sentence),” Milligan said. “But we accept this. Everyone understands that no matter what it’s not going to bring Allan back.”
Holman’s husband, Jim Holman, lauded the District Attorney’s Office for diligently pursing the case. He said the plea deal offered the victims and their families some closure, though “I don’t think it’s ever enough.”
Paula Holman broke her shoulder, neck and back in the crash. She had major surgery to repair the damage and now has three rods and 26 screws in her back. She takes medication daily to control the pain. Doctors told her the injuries were so severe she could have been paralyzed.
Greenleaf, the ambulance driver, has not returned to work. She requires assistance to walk and may need more surgery, Milligan said.
The victims, their families and Med-Care workers say they’ve grown close since the crash and the ensuing criminal case.
“Allan will always be my hero,” Paula Holman said.
Boutin and his lawyer declined to comment Thursday.