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Michael Skalaski, 22, of Shady Lane agreed to serve as his friends’ designated driver but instead consumed excessive amounts of marijuana and alcohol and crashed his truck into a tree, the district attorney said.
“As the designated driver, Michael Skalaski had no business smoking pot and drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel of his 4,000 pound vehicle,” said District Attorney Adam Levy in a statement. “The choices he made put in motion a series of events that were both foreseeable and preventable.”
Skalaski faces 1½ to 4½ years in state prison at his Oct. 21 sentencing.
On the evening of March 16, 2014, after smoking marijuana throughout the day, Skalaski joined three friends at an area pub for the purpose of being their safe, designated ride home, according to the district attorney's office. Instead, Skalaski drank for several hours and into the early morning of March 17, according to the district attorney's office.
Skalaski then attempted to drive his friends home by pulling out on Route 22 and travelling in excess of 70 mph, and onto Milltown Road, where speeds topped 80 mph, according to a press release. Skalaski’s occupants repeatedly pleaded with Skalaski to stop and let them out, according to the district attorney's office. Instead, he continued driving recklessly at high speed, before losing control on Milltown Road near Mountain Brook Drive and crashing into a large tree.
The front-seat passenger suffered a brain injury and has permanent, life-altering physical injuries, according to the district attorney's office. Skalaski and the two rear-seat passengers suffered numerous injuries, including fractures and contusions, the district attorney's office said.
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