Driver in fatal crash on Little Sebago Lake sentenced to 3 years

PORTLAND – A Portland man faces three years in prison for causing the death of a woman riding on the back of a personal watercraft he was driving.

Craig Fowler, 34, pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter and aggravated operating under the influence in connection with the 2004 crash on Little Sebago Lake in Gray that killed Cheryl Potochniak, 34, of North Conway, N.H.

Fowler was sentenced to 15 years, with all but three years suspended.

In part because of Fowler’s history of four drunken-driving convictions, the sentence was harsher than those typically handed down in drunken-driving car crashes.

“This is on the high end in terms of time in prison that he could do and when he gets out he’s going to have 12 years of prison time hanging over his head while he’s on probation,” said Assistant Cumberland County District Attorney Jennifer Norbert. “If he gets one drink or gets behind the wheel one time, he could serve 12 years.”

In addition to prison time, Fowler was sentenced to four years of probation and a $2,500 fine.

While on probation he cannot use or possess alcohol or drugs, operate a motor vehicle including snowmobiles, ATVs and watercraft and cannot be present in a business with the primary business of serving alcohol.

Disregarding the warnings of friends, Fowler went for a ride on a personal watercraft at 11 p.m. on July 31 under a full moon with lots of traffic on the lake. The watercraft had no lights.

Fowler, in addition to drinking, had taken prescription painkillers that were not his and smoked marijuana, according to Warden Jason Luce, who conducted an investigation that included statements from 70 witnesses.

Fowler sped up the lake to the area of Spider Island and was returning on a collision course with a boat carrying three fishermen when he suddenly swerved in front of the boat, Luce said.

The boat was traveling about 20 mph while the personal watercraft, according to witnesses, was going about 50 mph.

In the collision, the boat hit Potochniak and killed her instantly.

As part of the plea agreement, Fowler agreed to pay $12,040 in restitution.