State Police React To David Njuguna Sentence In Trooper's Death

WORCESTER, MA — The man found guilty in the 2016 Mass Pike death of state trooper Thomas Clardy will go to prison for five to seven years. A Worcester Superior Court judge sentenced David Njuguna, 33, on Thursday.

Njuguna was found guilty earlier this month on charges including involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide. He was not convicted on charges related to alleged marijuana use before the crash that killed Clardy.

Clardy, 44, died on March 16, 2016, along the Mass Pike in Charlton. The trooper was parked along the shoulder of the freeway during a traffic stop when Njuguna, driving at about 80 MPH, crossed all lanes and plowed into Clardy's SUV.

State police reacted to the sentencing on Thursday, with Massachusetts State Police superintendent Col. Christopher Mason saying the department would've preferred a "sentence much more commensurate with the taking of a life." The maximum sentence for involuntary manslaughter under state law is 20 years.

"Nonetheless we are aware of the sentencing guidelines prescribed by the law, and we are grateful for the court’s consideration of the severity of this offense. As we move forward, we continue to look toward and be guided by [Clardy's] example as a family man and a Massachusetts State Trooper, and our thoughts and hearts are, as ever, with his loved ones," Mason said in a statement.

Clardy's family, including his wife Reisa and daughter Gabriella, read from statements about how the death had impacted them. Clardy had six children. Gabriella Clardy became too choked up to finish, and her brother stepped in to read her victim impact statement.

Njuguna's attorney, Peter Ettenberg, asked for a shorter sentence between 3-1/2 and 5 years, saying that no amount of jail time could bring Clardy back.

"[Njuguna] is flawed like all of us, but he's still a good person, just like Thomas Clardy," Ettenberg said.

Before the sentencing, prosecutors said Njuguna acted with "a disregard for public safety," echoing comments made by Worcester Superior Court Judge Janet Kenton-Walker on Nov. 15 during Njuguna's verdict.

On Thursday afternoon, Kenton-Walker said she had to focus the sentence on rehabilitation and retribution, saying that no sentence is going to deter people from driving dangerously on Massachusetts highways.

"I don't think any sentence I give in this case is going to deter anybody from driving recklessly anywhere on the highways of the Commonwealth," Kenton-Walker said.

Here's how much time Njuguna got for each count he was found guilty on. These sentences run concurrently.

• Count 1, involuntary manslaughter: 5 to 7 years
• Count 4, misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide: 4-1/2 years
• Count 5, operating an uninsured vehicle: 1 year
• Count 6, operating to endanger: 2 years