Woman Who Gave Drugs to Driver in Fatal Bike Crash Sentenced to Jail

A New Hampshire woman accused of giving a drug to a teen before she struck and killed a Hamilton woman riding her bicycle in a benefit ride last fall has pleaded guilty.

Cindy Sheppard, 49, was sentenced to 3-6 years in prison at her sentencing in Rockingham County Superior Court this week, according to a report by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

Sheppard gave Darriean Hess, 19, the painkiller fentanyl hours before she drove into some cyclists last September, killing Pamela Wells, 60, of Hamilton and Elise Bouchard, 52, of Danvers. Uwe Uhmeyer, 60, of Essex and Margo Heigh, 54, of Danvers were also injured.

Sheppard was indicted on charges of dispensing a controlled drug and possession of fentanyl, cocaine and methadone. She pleaded guilty to all the charges this week.

In January, Sheppard was sentenced to 3-6 years in jail after pleading guilty to six charges of possession with the intent to sell a controlled substance and one charge of possession of marijuana. Her charges related to the bicycle crash will be served concurrently with the earlier sentence, according to Foster’s report.

Hess was allegedly unlicensed at the time of the crash and has been charged with with two counts of negligent homicide, two counts of second degree assault, two counts of manslaughter and two counts of driving-while-intoxicated negligent homicide charges. She is scheduled to go on trial in November.

The crash happened at about 8:30 a.m. that day on the Neil R. Underwood Memorial Bridge, which spans Route 1A over Hampton River and Hampton Harbor. The riders were taking part in the 40th annual Granite State Wheelmen Seacoast Century ride.

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