Woman dies in drunken-driving accident in Stoughton, according to police

By Miriam Valverde, Globe Correspondent

A Bridgewater woman was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and causing a crash that left one woman dead and two people seriously injured last night in Stoughton, according to State Police.

Patricia A. Neville-Colp, 48, was arrested after trying to flee the scene, police said.

“She attempted to drive away,” said State Police spokesman David Procopio in a phone interview today. “But a trooper who was doing work on the vicinity flagged her down and stopped her.”

Maureen O’Brien Ellis, 57, of Easton, a passenger in a 2011 Kia Sportage, was killed after she was ejected from the car as it rolled over. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to State Police.

The driver of the Kia, Steven H. Cadoff, 64, and the other passenger Martha A. Cadoff, 63, both from Sharon, were not ejected but had to be transported to Boston Medical Center with serious injuries. According to preliminary police investigation, they were both wearing seat belts but Ellis was not.

The crash occurred at 11:11 p.m. when Neville-Colp entered Route 24 southbound from Route 139 westbound and tried to cut across two travel lanes.

Neville-Colp, who was driving a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee, struck the passenger-side rear door of the Kia carrying the woman who died and two other passengers, State Police said in a statement.

According to the statement, a state trooper noticed Neville-Colp attempting to drive away, he then approached her on foot and ordered Neville-Colp out of the car and took the keys out of the ignition of her car.

Neville-Colp was arrested at the scene after five separate field sobriety tests determined she was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, State Police said. The trooper also noted a “strong odor of alcohol on her breath and observed that her eyes were glassy and bloodshot and that her speech was slurred”, the statement said.

State Police said a tin holding 16 marijuana cigarettes were found in Neville-Colp’s Cherokee, and a partially-smoked marijuana cigarette was also discovered on the car’s floorboard.

Neville-Colp, who was not injured, is held at the State Police barracks in Milton, pending a $5,000 cash bail.

Neville-Colp faces several charges, including motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of liquor, motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of drugs, and leaving the scene of a crash involving personal injury or death.

She will be arraigned tomorrow at the Stoughton District Court.

State Police said Route 24 southbound was closed for approximately four hours for the emergency response, investigation and clean-up following the accident.