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Accused Drunk Driver Charged In Fatal Beverly Crash

BEVERLY (CBS) - A drunk driver ran a red light, slammed into a pickup truck and left a woman dead in Beverly late Sunday night, investigators said.

Todd Porter, 31, of Beverly, was driving a 2013 Cadillac SRX on Route 62 just after 9 p.m. when police say he sped through a red light at the intersection with Rantoul Street and crashed into a Ford F150 pickup.

A passenger in Porter's SUV, 45-year-old Christine Dinis of Peabody, was rushed to Beverly Hospital where she died.

The pickup truck driver, 48-year-old Dennis Moustakis of Salem, was in critical condition at the same hospital early Monday.

"She was in really tough shape, so was he," said first responder Bob McClory.

"I responded to the truck, he was unresponsive so I went to the SUV and he was unresponsive," Nancy Josselin, another first responder, told WBZ-TV.

"I haven't slept. I'm sick, the woman was in such a position that it was horrific."

Beverly Fatal
State Police sealed off the intersection for their investigation after the crash. (WBZ-TV)

Porter was taken to the hospital with leg and back injuries.

"It sounded like an explosion, it was four hits like nothing you've ever heard before in your life," she added.

"I'm still shaking, I can't believe people would drink and drive like that."

Beverly Fatal
State Police sealed off the intersection for their investigation after the crash. (WBZ-TV)

Porter is charged with operating under the influence (liquor), OUI causing serious bodily injury, motor vehicle homicide while OUI, an open container violation, speeding, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license and two counts of failing to stop at a red light.

He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned in his bed at the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington Monday afternoon.

Todd Porter
Todd Porter was arraigned in his hospital bed, May 11, 2015. (WBZ-TV)

"I left a rose here for the woman who got killed,"said Beverly resident Sharon Buckley.  "I didn't know her but I feel heartbroken because she's close to my age and that's a horrible thing to happen to someone."

Beverly Fatal
A rose left by Beverly resident Sharon Buckley at the scene. (WBZ-TV)

WBZ-TV's Susie Steimle contributed to this report.  You can follow her on Twitter @SusieWBZ.

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