BANGOR, Maine (AP) - A blood sample taken from a driver following a crash that killed three passengers in Acadia National Park last summer will not be used at his trial on a manslaughter charge, a federal judge ruled.
Praneeth Manubolu, 29, of Edgewater, New Jersey, acknowledged drinking before the crash early on Aug. 31, 2019, on the Park Loop Road. But he argued that a state-mandated blood test shouldn’t have been taken without his consent because the crash took place on federal land.
Judge John Woodcock ruled that local police had plenty of time to secure a warrant if they’d chosen to do so. “The notion that a blood test generally requires a warrant is nothing new: It has been part of Supreme Court jurisprudence since 1966,” the judge wrote Monday.
The blood draw 90 minutes after the crash at Mount Desert Hospital indicated Manubolo’s blood-alcohol content was 0.095%, higher than the 0.08% limit for driving, according to court documents.
“The blood draw here was flat out unconstitutional,” defense lawyer Walt McKee said Tuesday in an email.
There was a second blood draw for medical reasons at the hospital. McKee said he’ll also be challenging that evidence either in a motion or during the course of the trial.
Manubolu pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court to manslaughter and operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The crash was the deadliest incident ever recorded in Acadia National Park. Killed in the crash were all three passengers: Lenny Fuchs, 36, Laura Leong, 30, and Zeeshan Mohammed, 27, all of New York City.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.