A 21-year-old Connecticut man has been charged with furnishing alcohol to two minors in Boothbay Harbor just hours before they both died in a high-speed crash.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at about 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday. When deputies arrived at the scene – on Route 27 near the intersection of River Road – they found a Ford Explorer SUV off the road.

An initial investigation revealed that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. The vehicle struck several trees before coming to rest.

Both the driver, Casey Dalton, 19, of Boothbay Harbor, and the passenger, an unidentified 17-year-old male also from Boothbay Harbor, were dead at the scene.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt but the passenger was, according to the sheriff’s office.

Investigators do not know whether drugs or alcohol were involved but testing will be performed on the driver, which is standard procedure in all crashes that result in fatalities.

Lt. Rand Maker of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that police did uncover enough evidence to charge William Gerardi, 21, of Hebron, Connecticut, with a felony count of furnishing liquor to a minor. Maker said Gerardi provided alcohol to both victims while at a residence on Merry Lane in Boothbay.

Gerardi was taken Wednesday to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, where bail was set at $5,000. He had not posted bail as of 3:30 p.m.

He is expected to make an initial appearance in Lincoln County Superior Court later this week and could face additional charges pending a review by the district attorney’s office. It is also possible, Maker said, that other individuals could be charged.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.