PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Westerly man has been found guilty in Washington County Superior Court of driving under the influence, resulting in a crash that caused the death of 31-year-old Westerly resident Michael DePaola.
On June 11, 2026, following the conclusion of a seven-day trial before Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers, a jury found Matthew Lyons (age 36) guilty of one count of driving under the influence resulting in death and one count of driving to endanger resulting in death.
“Driving under the influence is a dangerous decision, often with deadly results,” said Attorney General Neronha. “When this defendant got behind the wheel of the car that night, he endangered the lives of everyone on the road that evening and tragically cut Michael’s life short. While Michael’s family will forever feel his loss, I hope this conviction brings them a sense of justice and assists their healing. I thank the Westerly Police Department for their partnership in this case and many others.”
During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that in the late hours of February 16, 2023, the defendant drove under the influence and crashed his vehicle on Oak Street in Westerly that caused the death of Michael DePaola.
On that evening, Westerly Police arrived at the scene of the crash and found a pedestrian, later identified as Mr. DePaola, lying on the sidewalk covered in blood. Rescue personnel transported Mr. DePaola to Westerly Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
A witness told investigators that as she passed by the scene of the crash that evening, she saw the defendant in the middle of the street, where he flagged her down and told her he struck a pedestrian. The defendant asked the witness to call 911.
Officers spoke with the defendant at the scene and observed that he showed signs of alcohol consumption. The defendant admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the crash and participated in pre-exit tests, which are typically used to assess a driver’s impairment before leaving a vehicle, in addition to the standardized field sobriety tests. Approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes after the crash, the defendant submitted to a breathalyzer test, which revealed his blood alcohol content to be .109.
“This case is a tragic example of the devastating impact that driving under the influence can have in our community,” said Westerly Police Chief Paul J. Gingerella. “With this conviction, I am grateful to see the defendant held accountable for his actions. I want to thank our officers and investigators, as well as our partners at the Attorney General’s Office, for their investigation and prosecution of this case.”
Assistant Attorney General Mark Trovato and Special Assistant Attorney General Zach Moniz of the Office of the Attorney General and Officer Cory Torres of the Westerly Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case with the assistance of the Westerly Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team and the Rhode Island State Police.