Driver In Fatal OUI Sumner Tunnel Crash Gets Prison Time

BOSTON, MA — A Brighton man who was responsible for the 2016 drunk-driving crash in the Sumner Tunnel that killed one of his passengers and seriously injured another was sentenced Monday to 5-6 years in prison. Craig Lawlor, 25, was found guilty last month in a jury-waived trial on charges of manslaughter by motor vehicle, motor vehicle homicide by operating under the influence of alcohol, and operating under the influence of alcohol causing serious bodily injury.

Police said said Lawlor was driving with 24-year-old Dillon Cohen of Salem, NH, and another man after a night of drinking in Boston. Lawlor was driving his 2002 Dodge Ram pickup truck about 74 miles per hour when he struck the right side jersey barrier inside the tunnel, an impact that sent the truck back across the lanes into the left side barrier.

All three men were thrown from the vehicle, with Cohen suffering fatal injuries and the other man severe spine and head injuries. Lawlor suffered only minor injuries.

Lawlor's blood alcohol level was between .23 and .26 percent at the time of the crash, police said.

Lawlor was sentenced Monday to 5-6 years in state followed by 2 ½ years in the house of correction with six months to serve and the remainder suspended for a probationary period of two years. Lawlor must remain drug- and alcohol-free during that time, complete a substance abuse program, and perform 100 hours of community service.

"Some people are simply wired to leave a mark on this world and everyone they touch," Cohen’s grandfather said in a statement read in court by Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Grasso. "As a result, we remember him vividly, miss him deeply, and keep his spirit alive in any way we can."

The surviving victim also spoke to the court.

"I can remember not knowing if I will ever be able to walk again and the temptation of letting the situation around me drive my thoughts and morale down the tubes," the surviving victim told the court. "But at the end of the day, I always choose to be positive, look adversity in the face and push forward. I did this because I was given a second chance at life. Growing up with Dillon I understood how hard of a worker he was and his work ethic stuck out in my head each day and still does. I just know that Dillon would do nothing less if he were in my position."

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