ROCKLAND, Maine — An 18-year-old Owls Head man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a June car crash that claimed the life of a 17-year-old girl who was recalled by friends and neighbors as a “phenomenal kid.”
Evan A. Altiero was the driver of a 1998 BMW Z3 that crashed on Route 73 in South Thomaston shortly before midnight on June 20, 2011. The sports car went off the road and rolled several times, according to state police.
Aleisha Sonksen, 17, of Owls Head, a passenger in the car, died from her injuries. Sonksen had completed her junior year at Camden HIlls Regional High School earlier that month.
Altiero was taken to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport the night of the accident and treated for minor injuries.
The manslaughter charge alleges that Altiero acted recklessly or with criminal negligence, causing Sonksen’s death.
Altiero made his initial court appearance Feb. 15 in 6th District Court in Rockland on the juvenile charge of manslaughter, according to court records obtained Wednesday.
Because Altiero was a juvenile when the fatal crash occurred, he is being charged under the juvenile justice system. Manslaughter is a Class A crime, punishable in adult court by up to 30 years in prison.
District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau said Wednesday that the maximum sentence Altiero could face if he is found to have committed the offense is to be sentenced to a juvenile detention facility for an indeterminate time until he reaches 21 years of age. The region’s chief prosecutor, however, said the sentence could be far less than the maximum.
Rushlau said alcohol was not a factor in the crash, but expects that evidence of speed will be presented at the trial. Maine State Police also said at the time of the crash that speed played a role. He said he expects considerable expert testimony concerning the crash to be heard during the trial when it is held.
The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for April 11. Rushlau said that hearing likely will only be a conference to discuss the status of the case.
Altiero is being represented by Philip Cohen of Waldoboro.
Altiero was 17 when the crash occurred and turned 18 less than six months later. Juvenile names become public after their initial appearance on charges of this magnitude, Rushlau said.
Sonksen was the daughter of Joyce Burnham of Owls Head and Marlowe Sonksen of Camden. She transferred before her junior year to Camden Hills from Rockland District High School. She was enrolled in gifted and talented programs and was active on the ski team.
Wow many people had close calls when they were younger? This kid did not have the luck other kids had. Lets hope he learned a lesson gets punished and makes an example to other kids. I think most teen drivers have speeded with another kid in the car just did not result in a death. I in no way defend his actions. Laws need to be tougher.
Contradictory comment?
If I am I am really ok with that. My point was he made a stupid mistake should be punished but other kids make stupid mistakes with a different outcome seem to be let off too easy or let go.
most laws for children don’t change how they behave. It’s all part of the growing pains of life.
Tragic.
She was so young , and a good kid.
Do the crime, Pay the time…. this should not be a “Chappaquiddick”…
how can you even compare the two?
It takes nearly nine (9) months to indict the driver. The driver was at least seventeen (17) when the accident occurred. The article does not state if Mr. Altiero is out on bail. The prosecutor before the trial has even started says that the “sentence could be far less than the maximum”. The article does not attempt to characterize Mr. Altiero’s record or societal status. The article does not seem to deal with “crime and punishment” standards or provide any relevant details on the accident. This article seems to be written as a “ho hum” piece without any real reporting.
he’s a good kid, who made a very, very serious mistake. It won’t bring his friend back, it won’t take back any suffering both families have. I’m not saying he should or shouldn’t serve time…but he comes from a good family, and he is a good kid. Not the kind of screw up that BDN usually has a story about.
So now our laws should take into consideration whether the defendant is a “good” person from a good family or not?
Have you ever seen the statue that represents our justice system? What does she have over her eyes??
I didn’t say anything of the sort. My point was, is a lot of people here think that Evan is some “rich kid” out of Camden, when that is not the case. Many here are seriously trashing a good kid, who made a serious mistake that in no way can be undone. If you actually read my comment, I said “I’m not saying he should or shouldn’t serve time”. That is up to the courts to decide.
what do you want for free?
BDN is what it is.
Nothing more.
And we love it.
Everyone is a critic but the only way they can be so critical is if they read it. Kind of funny really. BDN laughs all the way to the bank as they should. They write what they want and we read it…good for them.
The actual article about the accident when it happened in june talks more about the crash. but there isn’t really that much info you need to know. he was driving recklessly just like he had been ever since he got his license and that car and had probably been told many times to drive more carefully and never gave a damn until after sadly. that “I’m so cool” status won’t carry you forever. and it didn’t, it ended that night. He is a highly intelligent kid with lots of commonsense. Absolutely no idea where it was that night.
Well it’s a good thing the juvenile detention center will make him a better person…
Whoever gave him the BMW ought to be charged too….
Camden Hills high school is where the rich folks send their kids.
Many of the students there drive newer or high end cars.
C’mon. It’s a 14 year old vehicle that sells between 5 and 10 thousand. Newer? High end? I suppose it depends on your perspective.
So, a 92 corvette can be bought for about 3 grand, but should kids be driving them?
how about no!
giving a kid the keys to any car like that is stupidity.
The Z3 is a two seat rocket…a whole lot of vehicle for a then 17 year old.
and maybe the person who gave him a license too?
It’s sad that they don’t discuss how the driver was a good kid, or take into account that she was his friend and he has suffered deeply from this. It’s not as if he was out to harm her. He may have been driving too fast, but can any of us honestly say that we never drive to fast… It is a tragic loss of a beautiful and smart young woman, but does the smart young man deserve to be punished so much more than he already has?
Yes. He committed negligent manslaughter and should pay the consequences.
Perhaps if more of these people were held accountable for their actions we would see more common sense on the road and fewer of these tragedies.
“…but does the smart young man deserve to be punished so much more than he already has?”
Yes he does. We have laws in this state/country for a reason. So you are suggesting we just let him go? What is he does it again? Then what do you tell that family that loses a child? He should be punished and do time, unfortunately he probably will only get his license suspended for a few months and probation.
My heart goes out to both sets of parents. I am certain if he could take back that day he would in a heartbeat. Considering alchohol wasn’t a factor, destroying two lives seems meaningless. Unfortunately it isn’t going to bring this amazing precious girl back. I’d like to say that I didn’t have close calls with speed as a teen, but I remember my uncle telling my father that I had rolled a tire. Meaning my car came close to being upside down. My uncle a bodyman was a smart man, and I lost my keys for a few weeks. My lesson was already learned.
I don’t see jailing this young man at this point beneficial to society. Is he really a risk to society?
Those of us who have teen drivers, this is our worst nightmare. Don’t lock him up. Have him spend the next three years traveling the state talking to teens about what he has done, how it has changed so many lives, devastated so many people, and tragically ended the life of someone he, I assume cared about.
If even one teen would listen (REALLY listen) and alter their driving habits – it would be worth it. I know everyone says he needs to pay for his crime, but for all accounts (and I don’t know him personally) it sounds like he has already paid a lot having to deal with the consequences of his decisions that night. Now, if he chose not to meet that commitment of speaking to schools, then maybe he should be locked up; but, at least give him a chance to some how make amends by trying to convince others not to make the same mistake he has done…
If justice is truly blind and class/money has nothing to do with it
then he will be judged equally under the law.
BMW/Camden Hills/Rich Kid etc. not withstanding.
I wonder how his attorney will handle this one ??
Oh, and the roads on Rt. 73 are as smooth as glass…
It’s kind of gross how many of these comments are making judgements based on the type of car driven and the area in which this took place.
So sad. My heart goes out to the parents of the young girl and also to those of the young man involved. Such a tragedy when both these young peoples lives were so full of promise and their minds full of dreams of what may come.
this is the worst of the worst.. a child lost life, parents left in the wake with just memories… I hate this kind of stuff… yet………… it appears the DA , once again, are going after this driver as if he were a criminal in the worst sense.. when what he is , is a kid with lousy judgement in this instance. does anyone really believe that he criminally plotted the death of his friend ? the DA does.. and can’t wait to put another notch in his win column… the grief that surrounds this kind of thing is enormous.. punishment enough in my book… no body gets out of this free…. nobody..just the DA and his cronies…
I did not get that impression from the article. In fact the ADA handling the case implied that the consequence may be much less than the maximum. If the DA thought this young man was “a criminal in the worst sense” they could have attempted to have him bound-over and tried as an adult.
Whenever someone dies at the hands of another’s reckless behavior, it is the job of the justice system to punish the offender irregardless of intent. There need to be known consequences when someone chooses to act irresponsibly.
So you say we should just let him go with not even a slap on the wrist. I bet your opinion would be different if it was your child that was killed. Remember, driving is not a right, it is a privilege and with that privilege comes a great deal of responsibility.
This is a terrible tragedy. And this man will serve 4 or 5 years in jail, and then get on with life. Yet a man who gets caught peeing in the woods is put on a registry for 10 years. So this man takes a life, but is not put on the internet for all to see. There is something seriously wrong with the laws in this country.
This man will not serve 4 to 5 years in jail. He willprobably get 1 year and then there will probably be a 1 year suspended sentence.
leaningRight 16 hours ago
Whoever gave him the BMW ought to be charged too…. seriously? and what about the person who gave him a license? who taught him how to drive? get real..he alone is accountable for his actions
leaningRight 16 hours ago
Whoever gave him the BMW ought to be charged too…. seriously? and what about the person who gave him a license? who taught him how to drive? get real..he alone is accountable for his actions
” Whenever someone dies at the hands of another’s reckless behavior, it is
the job of the justice system to punish the offender irregardless of
intent. There need to be known consequences when someone chooses to act
irresponsibly.” ROCKYSIN. Hes is a good kid I’ve always liked him but that’s beside the point, he took a young ladies life which is completely unacceptable and should have to deal with the consequences. He was being reckless, stupid and ignorant to the fact that there was pretty much a 90 degree turn coming up. Who gave him the vehicle? The license? Taught him how to drive? Seriously he was a 17 year old man and is fully accountable for his actions, no one else.