Rhode Island man sentenced in Fall River court in fiery wrong way crash on I-195 in Somerset that killed 21-year-old

A local man has been sentenced in Fall River Superior Court after a fatal highway crash.

According to court records, 55-year-old Bryan T. Conley of Bristol, Rhode Island pled guilty to Motor Vehicle Homicide by Reckless Operation Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol. He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in the Bristol County House of Correction with 18 months to serve and 5 years of probation.

According to Massachusetts State Police, at 3:45 a.m., on January 13th, 2021, Massachusetts State Troopers from the State Police-Dartmouth Barracks responded to reports of a wrong-way crash on Route 195 westbound in Somerset. The crash resulted in the death of the driver whose vehicle was struck head on by the wrong-way driver.

The preliminary investigation by Troopers indicated that a 2006 Volvo XC90 being operated by Conley was travelling east on the west side of Route 195. In the area of mile marker 9.6 the Volvo struck a 2017 Nissan Sentra, which was travelling in the correct direction, head on. The Nissan burst into flames. The Nissan’s driver and sole occupant, 21-year-old Adriaen Thibeault of Portsmouth, R.I., was determined to be deceased in the vehicle.

Conley was transported to Rhode Island Hospital with serious injuries. He was the sole occupant of the Volvo.

The defendant had been prescribed an anti-seizure medication which carried with it a warning to use care when operating machinery.  The pill bottle for this medication was found to contain fewer pills than the recommended usage and the defendant was found to have 11 pills in his pocket at the hospital.  No alcohol or illicit drugs were found in the defendant’s system. 

Miriam Cruz of Fall River risked harm to herself and attempted to save Thibeault.