Drug Defense Posed in Fatal Bicycle Crash

The woman accused of giving drugs to Darriean Hess in connection with the bicycle crash that resulted in two deaths in 2013 is basing her defense on the fact that she had a prescription for the drug Fentanyl, according to the Union Leader.

The trial of Cindy Sheppard will begin later this month, the newspaper reported.

Hess was indicted last fall on two counts of negligent homicide, two counts of negligent homicide driving while intoxicated, two counts of manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault, Hampton-North Hampton Patch reported.

Hess has claimed the crash occurred after she took her eyes off the road while traveling over Hampton's Neil R. Underwood Bridge at a high speed on Sept. 21, 2013.

The indictments claimed she was under the influence of fentanyl, klonopin, percocet and benzodiazepines. 

Pamela Wells, 60, of South Hamilton, Mass., and Elise Bouchard, 52, of Danvers, Mass., were killed during the crash, while Uwe Uhmeyer, 60, of Essex, Mass., and Margo Heigh, 54, of Danvers, Mass., were injured.