Back on July 18, Officer Erin Mowry was off-duty and out drinking. Instead of calling a taxi or a friend, Mowry entered his 1997 Mercedes to drive towards his next destination. On West Belmont Avenue, approximately around 1:20 a.m., 21-year-old Courtney Cusentino was crossing the street towards home, after departing from the Belmont bus stop. Instead of waiting for the bus to pull away, Mowry sped around it and slammed into Cusentino. The young woman was thrown into the air and upon her landing, her head struck the pavement.
Emergency services arrived, transporting the young woman to the hospital as police arrested Mowry. Cusentino was admitted with critical head injuries and was placed into a medically, induced coma due to bleeding on the brain. Doctors share Cusentino is no longer in a coma, but she is not responding to any commands, and faces extended medical conditions.
The family of the victim has created a GoFundMe page to ask the public for help in this sudden tragedy they face. The family has received dire updates, indicating their daughter may not live through her injuries. Her mother has remained at her bedside since the accident which has created financial strife for the family. As one family handles the health crisis of their young daughter, another has to face the consequences for the actions of one.
Mowry is a married father of two children, and has been a police officer for three years. He was recently promoted to the Narcotics division, and elected as part of the Honor Guard which represents departments during officer funerals and wakes.
This is not Mowry’s first run-in with alcohol and driving. In 1997, he was charged with an open container and driving above the speed limit. The charges were later dropped. During the current investigation, Mowry’s police powers were stripped. He appeared before a judge on Thursday for a bond hearing. He faces charges of aggravated driving under the influence causing bodily harm.
The investigation might call into question while Mowry did not receive a Breathalyzer test for nearly five hours. But, even, after that time, he registered a 0.092 which is far above the legal limit of 0.08. He was originally charged with a misdemeanor DUI, until Cusentino’s condition upgraded the charges.
The victim’s mother released a statement to the media following the charges against Mowry:
While I am pleased that the correct charges have been filed in this case I am also saddened that now two families lives have been destroyed by someone who thought it was ok to drink and drive. Not just someone but a police officer who knows what the laws are. I pray for his family and the anguish they must be going through as well as for my daughter who may or may not make it through this.