Woman sentenced to jail for role in fatal crash on Route 195

A 27-year-old woman who got into a single car crash on Route 195 which resulted in the death of her 25-year-old friend was sentenced recently to jail.

On January 16, 2021 at approximately 1:50 a.m., the defendant, Zeyra Martinez, of Pawtucket, was operating her father’s 2010 Honda Pilot eastbound when she lost control of the car in Rehoboth. The vehicle slid off the roadway sideways and into the median. As the car slid into the median it began to roll and at some point, during the rolling, the passenger, Emerizialina Moreira, also of Pawtucket, was ejected from the car.

A 911 caller observed the defendant outside the car standing in the median. However, when uniformed Massachusetts State Police troopers arrived at the scene, they found Martinez seated in the front passenger seat. The defendant told the first trooper to arrive on scene that her friend had been driving. The trooper detected an odor of alcohol from Martinez and she appeared disoriented. Both occupants were transported to Rhode Island Hospital. Blood was drawn from the defendant and prosecutors later obtained a search warrant for the blood. The blood alcohol content was .21. Moreira was placed on life support and was pronounced deceased on January 20, 2021.

The evening before the crash was Martinez’s birthday. Investigators learned she celebrated with several friends, including the victim. They started at a friend’s house in Rhode Island, then went to Fleming’s Steakhouse in Providence and then back to another friend’s house to have more drinks. Martinez then drove her boyfriend to pick up his car in Fall River and took the victim along. The crash happened on their return trip to Rhode Island.

A few days after the crash, Martinez was texting with the victim’s sister during which time she made admissions that she, and not the victim, was driving at time of the crash. Martinez also made similar statements to other friends. In addition, the defendant also gave a recorded statement to Allstate Insurance Co. that she was the operator of the car at the time of crash.

Martinez had no prior criminal record. The victim’s family wanted to see the defendant take responsibility for the crash. Initially, news reports in Rhode Island reported that the victim was the operator at time of the crash.

The case was prosecuted by Co-First Assistant District Attorney Karen O’Sullivan. Judge William White sentenced the defendant, who pled guilty to a single indictment charging her with Motor Vehicle Homicide by OUI, to two-and-a-half years in the Bristol County House of Corrections, with 18 months to serve and the balance suspended for two years.