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Dennis Drue, the man responsible for a tragic 2012 crash that killed two Shenendehowa High School students, is back in jail. Drue appeared in Saratoga County Court on Tuesday (May 6) for allegedly violating his parole by not installing a vehicle ignition interlock device, a condition of his release from prison in 2023.
Drue, now 34, was convicted of vehicular homicide for the crash on December 1, 2012, that killed 17-year-olds Chris Stewart and Deanna Rivers and seriously injured two other teens. He pleaded guilty to a 58-count indictment, which included charges of second-degree manslaughter and aggravated vehicular homicide, and was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison.
Prosecutors argued that Drue failed to meet the requirement of installing an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he had access to, not just those registered in his name. His attorney, James Knox, claimed Drue does not own a vehicle. However, Assistant Saratoga County District Attorney Matthew Coseo stated that Drue needed to submit an affidavit confirming this.
Drue was reportedly found in the driver’s seat of a running vehicle in March, leading to his arrest for false personation, a charge that was later dismissed. The court has scheduled a hearing for June 5 to address the parole violation allegations.
According to the Times Union, Drue's parole was initially revoked and then restored after he admitted to violating three provisions of his release. The families of the crash victims expressed disappointment over the dismissal of the false personation charge, as reported by CBS6 Albany.