Passadumkeag man indicted in accident

BANGOR – A Passadumkeag man was indicted Monday by the Penobscot County grand jury in a Howland woman’s death in a car accident nearly one year ago.

If convicted, William F. Tash IV, 24, faces up to 30 years in prison on a manslaughter charge in the death of Ashlee Dunn, 21.

Tash also was indicted Monday on charges of aggravated assault, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, two counts of criminal operating under the influence, and aggravated criminal mischief in connection with the Dec. 26, 2004, collision.

Dunn was a passenger in Tash’s 1990 Nissan pickup truck when Tash rear-ended a 1997 Toyota pickup truck as he headed west on Route 2 in Enfield. Pedro Quintella, 42, of Lincoln was driving the other vehicle.

After the impact, both trucks drove off the road on opposite sides, and each struck a utility pole. Tash’s truck then struck a vehicle parked in the driveway at 1253 Main Road and pushed it into the house, damaging both the vehicle and the front corner of the home. The road was covered with snow and it was snowing at the time of the accident, making it difficult for police to reconstruct the accident.

Dunn was pronounced dead at the scene. Quintella and Andrew McPheters, 22, of Enfield, who was a third passenger in Tash’s truck, were treated at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for their injuries. Tash received treatment at another hospital.

In addition to the manslaughter charges, Tash faces up to a combined 30 years in prison if convicted of the other charges.