BARNSTABLE (WWLP) – A Cape Cod jury has acquitted a man of all charges in a December 2014 crash that killed an off-duty Westfield firefighter.
Paul Dennehy of South Yarmouth was found not guilty Thursday of motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of alcohol and other charges in the crash that killed Kevin Regan.
Police alleged that Dennehy struck and killed Regan and injured his girlfriend, Lynda Cavanaugh, as they crossed Route 28 after dinner on Dec. 27, 2014.
Tara Miltimore, spokesperson for the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, said that the Barnstable District Court jury deliberated for about 90 minutes before coming back with their verdict Thursday.
“It’s still sad that a firefighter dies out of duty, because they put their lives before ours every time they go out on a call, and they are there, regardless of how we feel about them,” Brent Erickson of Westfield said.
The case against Dennehy almost didn’t move forward at all, after a key piece of evidence disappeared. The video of Dennehy’s booking at the Yarmouth police station had been lost or destroyed, and the defense had filed a motion to dismiss. Court documents stated that the video had been recorded over, and had not been backed up. The judge rejected the motion, saying that Dennehy could still receive a fair trial.
Two police officers testified that they concluded Dennehy was intoxicated at the time, but witnesses at the scene said Dennehy didn’t appear to be under the influence.
The results of a breath test administered that night were not admissible as evidence. Dennehy refused a blood test after his arrest.
Kevin Regan was the most senior firefighter in Westfield at the time of the death, having served on the department for 43 years. He was the brother of Westfield Fire Chief Mary Regan.
