Fatal Crash Driver
Gets 4 Years in Jail

At a time of year when many young men Teddy J. Gilman's age have friends and family gatherings to send them off to college for four years, his was a somber gathering at the Orange County Courthouse Thursday, May 22.

Gilman, 20, of Randolph, was being sentenced to four years in jail for grossly negligent operation of a motor vehicle, with fatality resulting.

The felony charge, to which he pleaded no contest, stemmed from the Sept. 11, 2005 accident on Ridge Road in Brookfield which took the life of Kyle Garrow, 16 of Braintree. The other two occupants of the 1995 VW Jetta, Jeremy Johnston and Mikel Brady, both of Randolph, aged 14 and 16 at the time, sustained minor injuries and were treated at Gifford Medical Center.

Gilman was also injured. He was airlifted to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center with a collapsed lung and internal injuries.

Both Johnston and Brady estimated their speed at the time of the accident to be 95-100 mph, according to the affidavit; Gilman later indicated that his speedometer read 110 mph.

Brady stated that they were trying to "catch air" over the hills and succeeded coming into the last hill. When the car came back down, Gilman lost control of the vehicle.

According to an affidavit filed by Trooper Daniel Martin, "the rear of the vehicle came around and they were traveling backward into the woods … at this point the vehicle flipped end-for-end twice before coming to a point of rest upside down on its roof."

When Johnston, Brady, and Gilman exited the vehicle, they found Garrow, who had been seated behind the driver, lying on the ground with no vital signs. None of the passengers were wearing seat belts.

During the investigation, the affidavit related, a videotape was discovered, filmed during the summer of 2005, which showed Gilman driving down Ridge Road at 100 mph. It also showed Brady "riding on the back of Gilman's trunk while traveling at a rate of 65 mph down the road."

This videotape was later excluded from evidence, although motions to suppress statements made and to change venue were denied. The sentencing hearing was scheduled for all afternoon to allow time for extensive testimony to be given. After consideration, Judge Theresa S. DiMauro sentenced Gilman to five to six years, all suspended except four years.

As people streamed out of the courthouse Thursday afternoon, some hugging and sobbing openly, some with silent tears, it was impossible to know whether the tears were for the defendant, the victim, or both.