KINGSTON – The Ulster County grand jury has determined not to file
criminal charges against Meredith McSpirit, the 20-year-old woman who
was driving a car in which four passengers were killed when the vehicle
crashed down an embankment near Montgomery Street in Saugerties, became
airborne, and landed on Dock Street.
Killed in that 11:35 a.m. crash on August 26, 2015, were Jonte Clark,
Dante Crump, Adam “Jeff” McQueen and Kaireem Meeks, Jr.
District Attorney Holley Carnright, Wednesday, announced the grand jury
decision saying he is prohibited by law from sharing detailed information
concerning the evidence that was presented to the deliberating body.
He did say, however, that the investigation by Saugerties Police was thorough
and professional and was assisted by the State Police.
The DA said central to the investigation was whether there was evidence
to suggest that McSpirit was impaired at the time she was driving.
Several interviews were conducted along with video of the operation of
the vehicle before the crash and laboratory analysis of her blood. The
grand jury found no evidence of impairment existed, Carnright said.
The investigation into the crash also included an accident reconstruction,
analysis, of the peed of operation of the vehicle and an examination of
the vehicle itself for mechanical defects, he said.
Prior to the public release of the findings, Carnright said he spoke with
many of the survivors of the four men killed. “It is troubling,
at best, not to be able to give them a concrete explanation as to how
this terrible, terrible, tragedy occurred.”
