PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter Neronha has announced that a man has been sentenced in Washington County Superior Court to serve at the Adult Correctional Institutions for driving under the influence, resulting in a crash that caused the death of 31-year-old Westerly resident Michael DePaola.
Superior Court Justice Kristin Rodgers sentenced 39-year-old Matthew Lyons of Westerly to 15 years, with 8.5 years to serve at the ACI and 15 years of probation. Additionally, Judge Rodgers ordered the defendant pay $5,000 fine, lose his license for 5 years to commence upon his release from prison, and complete substance abuse treatment. On June 11, 2026, following a seven-day trial, a jury found the defendant guilty of one count of driving under the influence resulting in death and one count of driving to endanger resulting in death.
“Driving under the influence is as reckless as it is dangerous, often resulting in irreparable harm, as was the case here,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Because of this defendant’s actions, Michael’s life was cut short far too soon, leaving his family and community without a son, a brother, a friend, and by all accounts, a great person. While nothing can bring Michael back, I hope this significant sentence offers his loved ones a sense of closure. I thank the Westerly Police Department for their partnership in this case and many others.”
During the trial, the State proved that in the late hours of February 16, 2023, Lyons drove under the influence and crashed his vehicle on Oak Street in Westerly, causing the death of Michael DePaola.
On that evening, Westerly Police arrived at the scene of the crash and found a pedestrian, later identified as DePaola, lying on the sidewalk covered in blood. Rescue personnel transported him to Westerly Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
A witness told investigators that as she passed by the scene of the crash that evening, she saw a man, later identified as Lyons, in the middle of the street, where he flagged her down and told her he struck a pedestrian. The defendant asked the witness to call 911.
Officers spoke with Lyons at the scene and observed that he showed signs of impairment. He admitted that he had consumed alcohol prior to the crash and participated in pre-exit tests, which are typically used to assess a driver’s impairment before leaving a vehicle, in addition to the standardized field sobriety tests. Approximately two hours after the crash, Lyons submitted to a breathalyzer test, which revealed his blood alcohol content to be 0.109, still above the legal limit of 0.08.
“Individuals who choose to drive impaired risk their own life and the lives of others, causing unimaginable pain in our community,” said Westerly Police Chief Paul J. Gingerella. “With this significant sentence, I am grateful to see that some justice will be served. I want to thank our officers including the Accident Reconstruction Unit and Detective Division, as well as our partners at the Attorney General’s Office, for their investigation and prosecution of this case.”
Those who knew DePaola described him as warm, a movie lover, and a “guiding light.” Curious and well-read, he loved philosophy, history, art, writing, and 14th-century martial arts, taught himself piano, and was knighted in the Order of the Selohaar in 2022. A literary salon and a Poet’s Tree in Wilcox Park now honor his memory.
Assistant Attorney General Mark Trovato and Special Assistant Attorney General Zach Moniz of the Office of the Attorney General and Lieutenant Dana Gervasini of the Westerly Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case with assistance from the Westerly Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team and the Rhode Island State Police.
