DUI Convict is One Sorry Man

The Boston Herald

They wanted an apology. As much as they needed the man who killed Christine Griffiths punished and put away, they needed his remorse, too. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I wish I could take it back." They ached for this.

But what they got was a man who refused to even look at them, who kept his head bowed and his eyes lowered as one by one they took the stand and talked about a young woman each of them had loved.

William Foley Jr., 40, of Braintree never intended to kill Christine Griffiths. Foley routinely drank and drove. He'd been found guilty of driving under the influence five times before. June 24, 2001, was just one more day in his life. He'd partied at Vincent's in Randolph, got in his car, hopped on Interstate 93, sped down the breakdown lane and slammed into Griffiths, 28, as she was getting back into the passenger seat of her friend's car.

Griffiths, of Randolph, left a daughter, Michaela, who was 16 months old, a mother, a stepfather, two brothers and many friends. Foley had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.22 percent that night. The legal definition of drunkeness is 0.08. There are people who contend that what happened to Foley could happen to anyone. They say, well, he didn't buy a gun and fire it at drivers who got in his way. He didn't plan to hurt anyone.

He may as well have.

When the details of how Griffiths was struck and catapulted across the highway and run over by other drivers were read by the district attorney in Dedham Superior Court last Friday, Griffiths' mother, Barbara, wept. She and her husband, Joseph, who are in their 50s, are raising Christine's daughter now. Michaela was in the courtroom along with Christine's brothers and friends, seated on one side of the room, while Foley's family and friends sat on the other.

The grandmother, the grandfather, the uncles, the godmother, friends and even a man from Mothers Against Drunk Driving took turns holding Michaela. And right up until Barbara Roche delivered her impact statement, Michaela seemed content.

But as Roche spoke the words she had written about life without her only daughter, "I always loved her name. I miss saying it," Michaela shouted "Grammy!" and Roche sobbed, "She's 2 years old and she has no mother."

Foley never even flinched.

Fist? Knife? Gun? Car? What difference does it make what weapon is used to kill a person? Drunken drivers get chance after chance to play by the rules but continue to break them, never mind who gets in the way. And we not only allow this. We make excuses for it.

One by one, family and friends spoke to the court. "I wouldn't want another family to be dealing with the pain we've been through," said William, Christine's brother.

"I miss her," said Kevin, her other brother. "I loved her."

"I feel fear being on the road. Every single morning I drive past the site. This man, William Foley, has caused a lot of pain," said Christine Cavanaugh, driver of the car Foley smashed into and injured the night her best friend died.

"Today is my 28th birthday," said Michaela's godmother, still stunned by the loss of the friend she spent every birthday with.

After these victim impact statements, Norfolk Superior Court Judge John Cratsley turned to Foley and asked if he would like to make a statement.

Foley said no.

It took 14 months for the commonwealth to put William Foley Jr. behind bars. In those 14 months Foley was a free man. Last Friday, he changed his plea from "not guilty" to "guilty," sparing the commonwealth the expense of a trial. "Your excessive use of alcohol over the years has caused this tragedy," the judge said before sentencing him to four years in prison.

"They're getting the best justice they can get in one of these cases," said Lynne Cipullo, victim advocate.

Michaela Griffiths will be 6 years old and starting first grade when her mother's killer is set free.