Crash victim’s mother wants charges dropped

BRUNSWICK – A 19-year-old sailor assigned to the Brunswick Naval Air Station faces a manslaughter charge in a highway crash that killed his girlfriend, but the victim’s mother says the charges should be dropped.

Megan Beane, 18, of Freeport was killed July 7 when the car she was riding in went out of control and crashed into a stand of trees off Route 127 in Woolwich. Two other passengers in the car were injured, one seriously. Joshua Prettyman, who was behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Camaro, suffered minor injuries.

Prettyman was indicted last month by the Sagadahoc County grand jury on charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless conduct and driving to endanger. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 4.

The victim’s mother, Cindy Beane, said she is not willing to lay blame for what she regards as an accident and believes that the charges against Prettyman should be dropped.

“It was an accident,” she said. “We, like other people, bear the horror of it, but we don’t blame Josh. There’s nothing the state can do to him that is worse than what he does to himself. He’s not a monster; he’s a kid.”

Neither the prosecutor nor Prettyman’s lawyer would comment on the case.

Megan Beane, who began dating Prettyman about six weeks before the crash, was planning to attend college to become a juvenile probation officer.