Fall River Man Sentenced in Fatal Dartmouth Drunk Driving Crash

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A Fall River man whose drunk driving resulted in the death of an 18-year-old and serious injury to two other people has been sentenced to state prison.

Jason Lindsey, 23, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with manslaughter while operating under the influence and two counts of OUI with serious bodily injury.

Lindsay was sentenced to serve five to seven years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Get our free mobile app

Lindsay – who was 20 years old at the time – picked up Jaedin Monteiro as well as a 19-year-old Fall River man and a 15-year-old Fall River boy on January 29, 2021 in his 2003 Lexus sedan.

According to Quinn, the group went to a liquor store that afternoon where Lindsay met an unknown man who purchased several “nips” of Captain Morgan rum for him. Lindsay drank one nip outside of the car and at least one more inside the car while he was driving. The group then began smoking marijuana as Lindsay drove them around.

Lindsay drove the vehicle into Dartmouth down Route 6 at a reckless and dangerous speed, Quinn said, before losing control of the vehicle and slamming into a utility pole near the China Belle restaurant.

The back seat passenger door was ripped off the vehicle, and Monteiro, who was sitting in that seat, suffered serious head injuries and died as a result.

The 19-year-old was in the front passenger seat and the 15-year-old was in the rear passenger seat behind him. Both suffered serious injuries; the 15-year-old suffered a fractured vertebrae and a fracture in his neck as well as fluid on his right knee, and was hospitalized for three days. The 19-year-old had two fractures to his lower back.

Lindsay, meanwhile, sustained minor injuries.

No one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt, Quinn said, and accident reconstruction analysis from the Massachusetts State Police showed he was driving 99.9 miles per hour (in a 35 MPH zone) when his vehicle began to swerve. He overcorrected and went into a spin, with the rear driver’s side door striking the pole before the vehicle then continued hundreds of feet before coming to a stop.

Blood taken from Lindsay at Rhode Island Hospital showed that at the time of the crash, his Blood Alcohol Content was .19, more than twice the legal limit.

“This is yet another tragic example of a defendant driving recklessly while drunk, and causing death and serious injuries to his friends,” District Attorney Quinn said. “My heart goes out to the families of all who have been impacted for the rest of their lives by this terrible, yet avoidable, accident.”