A resident of Carroll County, MD, recently pled guilty in a Howard County court room to the fatal drunk driving-related motorcycle-car collision that killed a 68-year-old woman who had been riding on the back of her husband’s bike. The accident took place on Rte 40 when now 23-year-old Alison Walsh, 23, reportedly drove her Honda Civic into the back of the cycle being driven by a 74-year-old man, Antonio Amato, and his wife, Cecilia.
According to news reports, Amato told police that the couple’s motorcycle was stopped at a red signal along a stretch of Rte 40 at the intersection of Marriottsville Rd at the time of the crash. Amato stated that his bike was sitting approximately 15ft from the intersection when they were hit from behind by Walsh’s car.
As a Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyer and Maryland personal injury attorney, I know that this kind of accident can cause severe injuries and sometimes death. In this particular case, the man’s wife was riding on the back of the bike and was thrown off as a result of the impact. Even with the use of a helmet, brain trauma and spinal damage can result from this type of traffic accident.
Based on news reports, the force of the crash caused Mrs. Amato to land on the hood of Walsh’s vehicle and then onto the roadway. Mr. Amato was also thrown to the ground, but apparently suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Walsh, who was not injured in the crash was arrested by police and charged with drunken driving after she registered a 0.17 percent blood-alcohol content.
Police reports indicate that Cecilia Amato was conscious when emergency responders transported her to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. As a result of the collision, the woman suffered a number of fractured ribs and severe internal bleeding — she died not long after as a result of blood loss and cardiopulmonary arrest, according to news articles.
Based on court records, the Howard County prosecutor’s office is pushing for a five-year prison sentence for Walsh in connection with the fatal 2010 crash, though a previous run-in with the police may not help her situation. In that instance, she was reportedly arrested in 2008 by Carroll County police who charged her with attempting to drive under the influence of alcohol as well as negligent driving. At that time, the Hampstead, MD, resident pleaded not guilty and received probation before judgment.
Carroll County woman pleads guilty to negligent manslaughter, BaltimoreSun.com, February 11, 2011