Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced today that Superior Court Justice Jeffrey Lanphear sentenced Brandon Borge, age 36, of Fall River, MA, to 25 years with 10 years to serve and the remainder suspended with probation for the April 1, 2012 DUI Death Resulting incident that killed 34-year-old Barbara Ellis. Justice Lanphear sentenced Borge to 15 years to serve for the charge of DUI Death Resulting and 10 years suspended for the charge of Reckless Driving Death Resulting, with sentences to run consecutive. In addition, Justice Lanphear ordered a five-year loss of license upon release from the ACI, a $5,000 fine, and required Borge to undergo mental health and substance abuse counseling. Borge, who had pled nolo contendere in May, was remanded to the ACI immediately upon sentencing.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove that in the early morning hours of April 1, 2012, Brandon Borge was traveling North on Route 2 in Warwick in excess of 90 miles per hour when he passed a Warwick police officer on the side of the road. The police officer followed Borge, who was driving erratically, in an attempt to conduct a motor vehicle stop.
Seemingly responding to the police officer, Borge initially slowed down and turned onto Toll Gate Road. Instead of stopping, Borge made a U-turn and accelerated back on to Route 2 North. Driving in excess of 100 miles per hour for more than one mile, Borge ultimately lost control of the vehicle as he attempted to turn onto Route 5, striking a bridge abutment. The vehicle burst into flames.
Warwick and Cranston Police and Rescue personnel pulled Borge from the burning vehicle, unaware Barbara Ellis was a passenger.
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Borge had two previous convictions for DUIs, both in Florida.
"The conduct by this defendant was nothing short of unconscionable. That night, he chose to get behind the wheel of his motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit, he chose to drive recklessly at more than 100 miles per hour, and he chose to evade the police. Throughout this process, Mr. Borge has shown little to no remorse for his actions and has always put his selfish behavior above any regard for his victim's family," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "As a state, we have made a conscious decision to not tolerate those who drive drunk and today's sentences serves as a reminder that stiff penalties will be imposed on those flagrantly violate the law.
"Today's sentencing may close one chapter for the family and friends of Barbara Ellis, but the pain they feel over her loss will never diminish. I extend my deepest condolences to her family and thank them for the grace and strength they showed throughout the process," added Kilmartin.
Assistant Attorney General and Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Jay Sullivan prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.