Motor vehicle homicide by negligent driving charge against Shrewsbury man dismissed

WORCESTER — A Shrewsbury man facing a motor vehicle homicide by negligent driving charge had it and another charge dismissed Thursday in Central District Court.

On Oct. 25, 2018, Michael Stanton of 68 South Quinsigamond Ave., Shrewsbury, struck and killed a 58-year-old pedestrian who was crossing Lincoln Street in Worcester. Stanton was 31 at the time of the accident.

In addition to the motor vehicle homicide charge, a charge of negligent operation of a motor vehicle was also dismissed.

Stanton was found responsible for the charges of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle and failure to slow for a pedestrian in the roadway. He was fined $100, which he paid after the ruling. Judge Steven D. Power was presiding.

According to police, Stanton was driving a 2016 Jeep Cherokee when he struck and killed Paul E. Towle Jr. shortly after 6:10 a.m., as Towle was crossing the roadway near 580 Lincoln St.

Towle — who worked many years as a surgical technician at UMass Memorial Medical Center’s Memorial Campus — was wearing dark clothing and was not in a marked crosswalk, police said.

Stanton, who called 911 and remained at the scene after the crash, was driving west on Lincoln Street when he struck Towle, who was crossing the roadway from south to north, according to investigators.

After the crash, Stanton provided police with his cellphone. The phone showed an outgoing call at 6:10 a.m. and the next outgoing call, at 6:11 a.m. was to 911, according to Worcester Police Officer Keith Garlick’s statement.

The officer wrote that the 6:10 a.m. call, “was made so very close to the crash that it is likely Stanton was distracted by the phone and not paying attention to the roadway."

Later in the statement, the officer alleged that Stanton was, "being inattentive due to cellphone use" and failed to slow for the pedestrian and that the crash "was caused entirely by the inattention of Michael Stanton."

In addition to voluntarily surrendering his cellphone to investigators, Stanton voluntarily submitted to a drug and alcohol test on the morning of the crash and the test showed he had no substances in his system, according to Maura J. Tansley, the lawyer who represented Stanton prior to his April 9, 2019, arraignment.

Tansley said Stanton was leaving a gym at 712 Plantation St., and was headed to his business, Fit Livin', a nutrition club at 536 Lincoln St., when the crash occurred.

Towle was born in the Whitinsville section of Northbridge. He graduated from Blackstone Valley Technical High School where he studied culinary arts. He also earned his degree as a surgical technician from the David Hale Fanning School.

At the time of his death three years ago, Towle was survived by his father, a brother, a sister, nephews and nieces, a great-nephew and a great-niece, aunts, uncles and cousins.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Michael Stanton motor vehicle homicide UMass Memorial Medical Center’s Memorial Campus