Orange man pleads guilty in May 2018 fatal crash in Athol

Date:9/4/2019

Jay Pressley, 29, of Orange, pleaded guilty in Franklin Superior Court on Sept. 3, 2019 to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter by a Motor Vehicle and a second count of OUI causing Serious Bodily Injury in connection with a fatal May 13, 2018 crash on South Athol Road in Athol that claimed the life of Eric Gage and caused serious bodily injuries to another passenger.

The car Pressley was driving hit a tree on South Athol Road flipping onto its roof. Gage was one of two passengers.

Judge Richard Carey sentenced Pressley to a total of 5 years to 5 years and one day in state prison on the Involuntary Manslaughter by a Motor Vehicle charge and 2 ½ years in the House of Correction suspended for two years of probation with conditions on the OUI causing Serious Bodily Injury charge to begin from and after his state prison sentence.

He will be given credit for 478 days served in jail but will not be eligible for parole on the state prison sentence.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington, of the Northwestern District Attorney's Office, represented the Commonwealth in the case.

Greenfield attorney Timothy Flynn represented Pressley.

Mary Carey | Communications Director
Northwestern District Attorney's Office
Mary.Carey@State.MA.US
One Gleason Plaza | Northampton, MA 01060
Office (413) 586-9225| Cell (413) 588-4274
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