A truck driver from Connecticut has rejected a plea deal for his alleged role in the death of a New Hampshire state trooper, sending the case to trial.
Staff Sergeant Jesse Sherrill was killed after a tractor trailer driven by Jay Medeiros collided with his squad car in a construction zone on Interstate 95 in Portsmouth.
Medeiros is facing negligent homicide charges for allegedly failing to slow down despite construction zone warning signs. During a brief hearing on Monday, Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway told the court that Medeiros had rejected a plea offer made last month. Medeiros and his attorney appeared via a remote link from a law office in Connecticut.
The trial is scheduled for December 2023, and is scheduled to last two weeks, with multiple expert witnesses expected to testify on the exact circumstances of the collision.
Medeiros is accused of failing to heed warning signs and flashing lights as he entered a construction zone. According to court paperwork, Medeiros failed to brake or shift his lane until he was within about 11 feet of Sherrill’s police vehicle. Sherrill was working an overnight detail during a road project in the northbound lanes near Exit 3.
Prosecutors allege Medeiros had detectable levels of marijuana in his blood at the time of the crash, though it isn’t clear how recently he may have used the drug. There was also an undisclosed amount of marijuana in the cab of his truck.
Sherrill was a 19-year veteran of the force.
