Wellesley, Mass. –The 2009 Doctor of the Year was charged with driving under the influence after she crashed into another vehicle in a Whole Foods parking lot and sent the driver to the hospital. Dr. Kristin Howard, 56, was speeding in her Subaru Outback out of the parking lot, went over the median, and then went airborne crashing into a Mercury Marquis and another truck. The driver of the Mercury, 78-year-old Paul McDonald, was taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where Howard works. McDonald suffered two cracked ribs and a hematoma on his leg. Police found prescription drugs, class C and E controlled substances, in Howard’s car that she had prescribed to herself. Doctors are forbidden by law to self-prescribe medication. Howard pleaded not guilty to seven charges, including driving under the influence and drug violations. She was released on bail, and is on leave from the hospital. She must return to court on Jan. 7. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact a Wellesley DUI defense attorney to review your case.
