Michael J. Bristow was sentenced to 7 1/2 to 16 years in prison for causing a fatal accident on Feb. 5.
He will spend 7 1/2 to 16 years in jail for causing death of young father
Under the terms of a plea agreement, a West Caln resident with a long history of criminal and motor-vehicles infractions was sentenced Tuesday to 7 ½ – to 16 years for causing a crash that killed a 26-year-old Downingtown father.
Police said Michael J. Bristow, 39, was traveling on Rt. 322 in East Brandywine Township about 11 p.m. on Feb. 5 when he struck a motorcycle driven by Michael Orsini, who was turning into his apartment complex. Orsini, the father of a 9-month-old daughter, was taken to Brandywine Hospital and then to Paoli Hospital, where he died of his injuries less than two days later, police said.
Bristow had previous convictions for drunken driving, drug offenses, assault by a prisoner, simple assault, theft, and burglary; he had also been cited for reckless driving, careless driving, speeding, improper passing, and fleeing a police officer, court records said. At the time of the fatal crash, he was on parole, District Attorney Tom Hogan said.
Hogan said investigators determined from car parts found at the scene that Orsini was struck by a Chevrolet Cavalier. On Feb. 6, state police located an abandoned 1997 Cavalier on Route 30. The license plate had been removed and the car had substantial damage and a deployed air bag.
Police traced the car to Bristow, who was interviewed and said he had sold it to a drug dealer and did not know anything about the crash, Hogan said, adding that Bristow had abrasions consistent with air bag deployment.
After interviewing Bristow’s friends and family, police reconstructed his movements leading up to the crash, which included driving to a Super Bowl party, where he drank alcohol, Hogan said. According to witnesses, Bristow left the party in his car but called to request a ride, saying he had run out of gas; the next day he said his car “blew up” and had been towed, Hogan said.
During a second police interview, Bristow gave a full, videotaped confession, Hogan said.
Orsini was a 2004 graduate of Coatesville High School who worked as a logistics clerk at West Chester University, where he was also taking classes, according to his obituary. He enjoyed motorcycles, BMX biking, snowboarding, and rock climbing. His survivors included his companion, Amanda L. King, and their infant daughter, Isabella M. Orsini.
