Police: Doctor admitted to 4 vodkas, does not remember crash into home
Jul. 20—SALEM, N.H. — A woman walking on Silver Brook Road minutes before a car crashed into a nearby home Saturday afternoon told police that the driver came within centimeters of hitting her and her two children.
Another man driving in the area about the same time told police how the car came directly at him in the residential neighborhood — speeding at more than 75 mph.
Those details and more were revealed in newly filed court documents in the case of Scott Dowd, a 37-year-old local doctor now facing charges.
Dowd is accused of drunkenly crashing his Acura RDX into 16 Silver Brook Road, critically injuring 5-year-old Giuliana Tutrone who was inside.
An affidavit written by Salem police Lt. Justin Bagley explains how witness interviews and surveillance footage from neighboring homes contributed to the investigation.
One witness told police that she was walking near the intersection of Surrey and Lamplighter lanes when she saw Dowd's Acura screech its tires and come to an abrupt stop.
She told police that the car stopped for "an abnormally long period of time" before driving down Lamplighter Lane and making a right turn onto Silver Brook Road, where she lost sight of it.
Police say surveillance footage from a home on Silver Brook Road shows the Acura driving slowly and with lane control issues, at one point leaving the paved portion of the road and driving over a front lawn before correcting.
The woman who told police about the near-crash with her children said she heard a loud car engine behind her. The Acura then came close enough for her to feel wind caused by its high speed.
She said she watched the car drive on, swerving left to right, never hitting the brakes and disappearing from view.
The affidavit states that a few seconds later, that woman heard "a loud bang and screaming."
The man who said Dowd nearly collided with him head-on described for police how the Acura hit a mailbox and continued on.
That series of events was corroborated by one of the Tutrone family's neighbors, who said she was cleaning a front window when she watched Down crash into her granite mailbox.
The affidavit says the force was enough to launch a piece of granite into the air and into the Turtone's home — through an office, into the foyer area and landing in a dining area on the opposite side of the house.
Lt. Bagley wrote in his report, "It should be noted that the distance from where the Acura struck the mailbox to (where) it was sent into the residence was approximately 150 feet."
Surveillance footage from inside the Tutrone's home shows Giuliana walking into the office, where her 8-year-old brother was playing, seconds before the crash.
Joseph Tutrone, their father, said only Giuliana was hurt.
The police affidavit states that her jaw is broken and a lacerated vein had to be sewn to the left side of her neck in order to save the girl's life.
Police paperwork goes on to explain that Giuliana had a muscle torn off the left side of her neck and a deep cut through which her skull could be seen.
Dowd was also reported injured and trapped inside his car.
An officer said she smelled alcohol on his breath as she braced his neck and asked basic questions. The affidavit states he was "not coherent and mumbling."
While being cared for by a Salem paramedic, police say Dowd admitted to having four vodka drinks.
Another officer stated that Dowd's eyes were red and glassy.
An emergency room nurse at Lawrence General Hospital reiterated to police, "a strong odor of alcoholic beverage while treating Dowd."
A Salem detective who later interviewed Dowd at LGH said he still appeared to be under the influence four hours after the crash.
Dowd told police that he remembered leaving his home, running errands and picking up his girlfriend, however, he stated, "he did not remember the crash."
Court documents show that Dowd is free on personal recognizance bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 19 in Rockingham Superior Court.
He faces three counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, aggravated DUI with serious bodily injury and first-degree assault on a victim under 13 with serious bodily injury.
