Driver charged in crash that killed state police Sgt. Jesse Sherrill to plead guilty
Nov. 15—The Connecticut truck driver charged in a crash along Interstate 95 that killed a New Hampshire state trooper two years ago has agreed to change his plea to guilty.
Jay Medeiros, 45, of Ashford, Connecticut, was charged with negligent homicide and reckless conduct in the Portsmouth crash that killed Staff Sgt. Jesse Sherrill in October 2021.
Court documents show attorney Ronald Caron of the Devine Millimet law firm filed (on behalf of Medeiros) on Nov. 8 an intent to change his plea from not guilty to guilty to negligent homicide and reckless conduct.
A plea and sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12 at Rockingham County Superior Court.
The two charges are both Class B felonies, each with the potential for 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison.
An indictment handed up by a Rockingham County grand jury in May 2022 accused Medeiros of having marijuana in his system, storing marijuana in the cab of his rig and having ingested marijuana at most three days before the Oct. 28 accident.
At the time of his death, Sherrill, a trooper of 19 years who lived in Barrington, had recently been promoted to assistant troop commander. He was married and the father of two boys.
A commemoration of his life drew thousands to the SNHU Arena in Manchester.
Sherrill, 44, was sitting in his cruiser when the northbound tractor-trailer struck his car. He was working an overnight traffic detail when the crash took place, just north of Exit 3, about 14 miles into the state.
According to the indictments, Medeiros passed at least two advanced warning devices and multiple warning/emergency lights and a yellow direction arrow.
He didn't move over or reduce his speed until his rig was about 11 feet from the parked cruiser.
