Woman charged with manslaughter after turnpike crash

ALFRED — Donna Bartlett, 38, of Wells, made her initial appearance in York County Superior Court Monday morning.

Bartlett was charged on May 14 with two counts of manslaughter and one count of aggravated criminal OUI stemming from an April 28 accident on the Maine Turnpike that claimed two lives.

James McLaughlin, 65, of Gorham and Cooper Campbell, 15, of Scarborough died.

State Police say Bartlett's Chevy Tahoe was traveling south in the northbound lane when her vehicle collided with a Lincoln Town Car driven by McLaughlin.

Campbell's father, Steven, 48, was injured in the crash.

Bartlett suffered a broken ankle.

Bartlett was accompanied Monday by Attorney John Webb when Judge G. Arthur Brennan opened the hearing.

Brennan outlined the charges, all felonies, against Bartlett, as well as the bail criteria. Bail was set at $10,000 cash and Bartlett is prohibited from using or possessing alcohol or illegal drugs, must agree to random searches and testing, and may not operate a motor vehicle.

Bartlett has not been indicted so no pleas were entered. Her next scheduled appearance is Aug. 22.

At the hearing, Bartlett also was accompanied by members of her family.

Family of McLaughlin and Campbell, including Steven, were present as well.

York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence explained that Bartlett had been arrested May 14 as a result of a complaint compiled by State Police Trooper Philip Alexander.

"This is not an indictment by a Grand Jury," Lawrence said. "An arrest warrant was reviewed and approved and she was arrested pursuant to that warrant."

Alexander followed Bartlett's vehicle the night of the accident after receiving reports that the Tahoe was traveling in the wrong direction on the turnpike. He witnessed the crash.

"I followed this vehicle in my fully marked State Police cruiser traveling in the outside southbound lane at highway speeds with all my emergency lights and spotlight flashing in an attempt to get the attention of (Bartlett's vehicle) and have it pull over," Alexander wrote in the affidavit in support of the arrest warrant.

"I observed this SUV side-swipe another vehicle and continue to operate southbound in the northbound travel lanes at highway speeds ...; I observed this SUV narrowly miss numerous other vehicles forcing motorists to take evasive action," he continued.

Alexander interviewed and collected statements from seven of those motorists.

He wrote that the crash occurred at Mile 13.5, after which he was able to cross over and get to the scene.

When he arrived there, Alexander said, he found McLaughlin and the younger Campbell dead.

The elder Campbell was alive but "later found to have numerous broken ribs and internal injuries to his spleen."

Bartlett was trapped in her vehicle and Alexander wrote that he "smelled the odor of intoxicating beverages coming from Bartlett as I tried to communicate with her on the scene."

He noted that three other officials also reported the odor of intoxicating beverages when they spoke with Bartlett. Finally, the affidavit reported that a blood alcohol analysis conducted approximately two hours after the crash indicated that Bartlett had "a blood alcohol level in excess of .08 percent by weight of blood."

Lawrence explained that manslaughter was charged in the case of each victim.

The aggravated component of the OUI charge, Lawrence said, alleges that Bartlett caused the death of the two victims while driving under the influence.

The initial court appearance is to make "the defendant aware of what's going on with the arrest warrant, the complaint that was filed and to explain the process," Lawrence said.

The investigation by the State Police is ongoing.

"It usually takes months," Lawrence said. "It will continue until we determine we have sufficient evidence to proceed."

Grand juries are scheduled to meet the first week of June, July, and August.

"We have the next three grand juries to present the case (and seek an indictment)," Lawrence said. "Otherwise, we have to show cause to the judge why the complaint should stay in place."