Crime

Former Lowell police officer sentenced in fatal crash

October 4, 2016

1 minute to read

A former Lowell police officer was sentenced to four years in state prison after pleading guilty in an August 2014 Methuen crash that killed a 26-year-old man, the Essex District Attorney’s office said in a statement Tuesday.

Eric Wayne, 43, pleaded guilty Tuesday to motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence, manslaughter, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. His prison sentence will be followed by three years of probation, during which he will have to stay drug and alcohol free, and he will lose his license for 15 years, according to authorities.

Around midnight on August 23, 2014, Briant Paula was driving his sister Lois home to Lawrence from work. The DA’s office said Wayne, driving a Land Rover, crossed the center line and crashed into the siblings head-on as they drove through Methuen on Riverside Drive.

Briant Paula was transported to Lawrence General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities. Lois Paula was also seriously injured and needed a cane to walk for awhile after the crash.

The DA’s office said witnesses heard Wayne talking on his phone and saying he needed to leave the area quickly. On arrival, police detected a strong smell of alcohol and noticed Wayne had bloodshot eyes and was unsteady on his feet, according to authorities.

Wayne allegedly gave officers a fake name when they arrested him and tried to leave the police department booking area multiple times. The DA’s office said beer bottles discovered in the defendant’s vehicle and at the scene had blood and saliva on them that matched Wayne’s DNA.