 Media Credit: The Patriot Ledger Ellen E. Engelhardt with boyfriend State Police Sergeant Richard Teves. [Click to enlarge]
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 Media Credit: The Patriot Ledger William P. Senne was sentenced to 2.5 years in a corrections facility.
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William P. Senne, identified as a Boston College student by the The Boston Globe, pled guilty to charges of driving under the influence and slamming into former state trooper Ellen E. Engelhardt's parked cruiser at nearly 100 miles per hour in July 2003.
Senne was sentenced to two and a half years in the Plymouth County House of Correction in Plymouth, Mass.
Senne only attended BC in the fall of 2004 and was enrolled in the Woods College of Advancing Studies (WCAS).
"While awaiting the trial, he took some night school courses at WCAS, but he stopped when he was sentenced earlier this week," said Jack Dunn, BC Spokesperson.
Senne attended Roger Williams College in Rhode Island as a full-time student prior to the accident.
Dean of WCAS Rev. James A. Woods, S.J., submitted a letter of testimony to the court in support of Senne's character.
"He had received an honor roll grade and [the dean] was impressed with him," said Paul V. Kelly, Senne's lawyer. "It was the kind of testimonial you see in a criminal sentencing for the judge to get a better feel for who the person is."
Senne was coming home from a party in Wayland at around 6 a.m. going 90-100 miles per hour, switching from lane-to-lane, said Timothy J. Cruz, Plymouth County district attorney.
Engelhardt's cruiser was parked in the breakdown lane of Route 25 in Wareham. Senne hit the cruiser, thrusting it forward at a rate of 50 miles per hour, said Frank Middleton, assistant Plymouth district attorney. Senne's car was destroyed, but he did not receive any significant injuries.
Engelhardt, who currently resides in a Middleborough rehabilitation center, suffered serious brain injuries and is unaware of her surroundings. She attended the sentencing in a wheelchair accompanied by her longtime boyfriend, State Police Sgt. Richard Teves.
Subsequent testing revealed Senne had been driving under the influence.
"Some three hours after the accident, his blood alcohol level reading was 0.05," said Cruz. "An expert in retrograde extrapolation believed that at the time of impact, his level was between .08 and .12." The legal blood alcohol level in Massachusetts is .08.
Kelly said that Senne had drank beer the night before, but was not drunk at the time of the accident.
He attributed the crash to Senne's fatigue and exhaustion from lack of sleep.
"[Senne] said he was sorry in a very tearful way." said Kelly.
Senne, who was 18 years old at the time of the accident, had three speeding citations on his record.
In addition to two and a half years in a corrections facility, Senne was also sentenced to five years probation and 500 hours of community service at a head trauma hospital. He must also abstain from alcohol.
Cruz said the prosecutors originally recommended an eight to 10 year sentence for driving under the influence to cause bodily injury and of driving to endanger.
The defense argued for two years in a correctional facility before the two sides reached a compromise.
The prosecution's case for a longer sentence was due to the severity of damage done to Engelhardt's health, said Cruz.
"We recommended a severe penalty because of the damages and the issues that have been caused because of that intentional operation of that motor vehicle and the destruction of that trooper's quality of life," he said.
He said these cases show that drivers have to be aware of their surroundings while on the road.
"You're dealing with young people who think they're invincible on the road, drinking alcohol and other activities," said Cruz. "They need to be aware of the consequences of their actions."
Engelhardt's daugher, Lora E. Tedeman, filed a civil lawsuit in Plymouth Superior Court against Senne and his father Peter, demanding $10 million for her mother's medical expenses.
Students who knew Senne while he attended BC last fall said he did not show any indications of the accident.
"He seemed to be someone who was very academically motivated and someone who was there to experience all of Boston College," said Luke Howe, CSOM '06, who had class with Senne.
"He was a pretty nice guy. I was very surprised when I heard about the accident, and I could not believe it was him. It was something that seemed very out of character for him."
Nick Noel, A&S '07, became friends with Senne through a personal friend and was also surprised when he heard news of the accident. Despite the accident, Noel said that Senne must be having a tough time coping with the situation.
"We've all made horrible choices in our lives, and it's unfortunate that it happened," he said. "It's hard to feel for someone who ruined someone's life like that, but he's not to my knowledge trying to avoid his punishment. I know he's regretful for what he did.
"Let's hope some people learn from that awful situation that he's being made an example for," Noel added.
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