Trial of Quincy Drunk Driver Begins in Dedham

March 24, 2010 - Dedham - The trial of a woman who caused a car accident while intoxicated started Monday in Norfolk Superior Court. According to reports in The Patriot Ledger, 33-year-old Marybeth Frisoli is facing a jury trial on counts of drunk driving and negligent operation in the car accident that occurred in 2008.

The car accident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on August 23, 2008. Frisoli was driving a Honda Accord when she turned the wrong way down the Neponset River Bridge and hit Mark Cronin, who was driving a motorcycle at the time. Cronin suffered serious personal injuries in the head-on collision, and his leg was later amputated at the hospital. A passing motorist helped save Mark Cronin's life by wrapping a belt around the injured leg, which prevented the victim from losing even more blood.

Police say Frisoli appeared intoxicated at the time of the car accident, and was arrested when she could not complete a field sobriety test. Frisoli's attorney argued in court that she failed the sobriety tests because she was in shock from the car accident. She is now on leave from her job as a probation officer with the Boston Juvenile Court.