ELLSWORTH — A woman charged with drunken driving and manslaughter has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, and will serve no time in jail.
Darlene Haslam, 58, of Eastport received a suspended sentence Monday after she pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of aggravated driving to endanger, the Bangor Daily News reported.
She was driving slowly through a parking lot in November 2017 when she hit a guide wire, then accelerated into a tree.
Haslam’s husband in the front passenger seat wasn’t hurt. But a married couple seated behind them suffered injuries, and one of them later died.
Police obtained a blood sample that showed Haslam’s alcohol level exceeded the 0.08 percent minimum allowed by law, but the test results were later thrown out by a judge, the newspaper reported.
Haslam contended she consumed three glasses of wine at a gathering before driving home with the group. Police and her passengers said she showed no visible signs of impairment.
She had no prior criminal record and is remorseful for what happened, her attorney said.
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