Tractor trailer operator gets five years for fatal crash caused by distracted driving

BIDDEFORD, Maine - A tractor trailer operator has been sentenced in the motor vehicle deaths of a husband and wife on the Maine Turnpike in Kittery in 2021.

David Herring, 42, formerly of South Portland, will spend at least five years in state prison followed by four years of probation on two counts of manslaughter.

Herring was operating a tractor-trailer on the Maine Turnpike on Jan. 12, 2021, in Kittery when he became distracted and ignored signs that warned of traffic delays. Traveling at 57 mph, he failed to stop for the slowed traffic and struck Geoffrey and Elizabeth Gattis' motor vehicle which was traveling at three mph, killing them. The sentencing was held on Sept. 13.

"We are very sorry for the loss the Gattis family suffered," York County District Attorney Kathryn Slattery said in a statement released on Tuesday. "Distracted driving is a serious problem in Maine and in this case resulted in a tragedy that could have been avoided. We hope this sentence will raise awareness of the importance of paying attention to your surroundings and not to be distracted by phones or other devices while driving."