LINCOLN, Maine — A Howland woman will pay a $4,000 fine and lose her driver’s license for three years as part of civil court penalties imposed Tuesday for her role in a head-on collision that killed a Portland woman in 2014.
Katie Drost, 31, formerly known as Katie Martin, was charged with a motor vehicle violation resulting in death, which in this case involved failure to use care when making a left turn on Route 2 in Enfield, according to Marianne Lynch, assistant district attorney for Penobscot County.
District Court Judge Kevin Stitham imposed the sentence. He said he could have given Drost the maximum allowed under the law – a $5,000 fine and four years loss of license ― for the accident, which killed Karla Kenniston, 64, of Portland.
“Literally the only reason this offense happened was that you were driving and you made a horrendous mistake. That horrendous mistake is what has caused all the suffering that’s been stated here today,” Stitham said Tuesday. “Is there anything you want to say about what you feel the court should impose as a penalty in this case?”
Standing before the judge, Drost said no. Counting court costs and other expenses as well as the fine, Drost will pay $4,810. Stitham agreed to allow Drost, who is unemployed, has no source of income and last worked four years ago, to begin paying the fine at $50 per month starting next month.
“Do not even think of driving a motor vehicle under any circumstances whatsoever unless and until you’ve got the whole three years’ suspension time as past, and you’ve done everything necessary to get your license reinstated,” Stitham said.
Drost did not face a criminal charge because the police investigation didn’t reveal “the level of criminal standard for felony manslaughter, but the defendant did have some responsibility in not taking care when she was effectuating that left-hand turn,” Lynch said when the civil court charge was announced in March.
The fatal crash occurred on the morning of Nov. 15, 2014, near the intersection of Route 2 and Mohawk Road, when Drost, who was headed east in an SUV, crossed into the oncoming lane of another SUV driven by Kathi Hinkelman-Emery, 60, of Lincoln, police have said.
Kenniston was a passenger in the SUV driven by Hinkelman-Emery. Drost’s passenger, Jonathan Noonan, 48, of Sebois was seriously injured. A 7-year-old boy in Drost’s vehicle was not injured, police have said.
Hinkelman-Emery and her other two passengers, Kristi Birmingham, 63, of Lincoln and Joanne Hinkelman, 86, of Lincoln, also suffered serious injuries, police have said.
Drost pleaded no contest to the charge, which means that she did not admit guilt but did concede that the state probably has enough evidence to convict her.
Family members who spoke before the sentencing said that they, including the victim’s two sons, were still coping with her loss today. They said that Drost showed poor judgment and was “driving a lethal weapon” that day and was lucky that her 7-year-old son was spared.
“We weren’t as lucky,” said the woman, who told the court that she was the victim’s sister.
BDN writers Dawn Gagnon and Ryan McLaughlin contributed to this report.