‘I deserve to be punished,’ Dennis Drue explains his sorrow over 2012 deadly Northway crash

NewsChannel obtained a copy of Dennis Drue’s most recent interview in front of the parole board.

The 32-page transcription details the day of the crash, the aftermath and trial, and what Drue thinks of the consequences of his actions.

Drue was convicted after crashing into a car on the Northway while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The crash killed two Shenendehowa students and seriously hurt two others.

During the July 19, 2022 interview, the board asked Drue if justice was served for the deadly accident. Drue said, “”I believe that I broke the law. What comes after that is the consequences and I deserve to be punished. I don’t think I could ever pay back what I’ve done, though. I could do 100 years in prison. There’s nothing that’s ever going to be truly just for these families.”

Drue said he understands that he committed a terrible crime and that’s why he’s in the corrections system, and that he put himseld there.

Drue was 17-years-old when he caused tragedy. Drue told the board that he was going 75 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone before hitting the group of teenagers. He admitted he was speeding.

He also explained to the board his lifestyle was not centered about substance abuse, at the time of the 2012 crash, but it was definitely an issue.

The parole board asked Drue if he thinks about the victims families.

“I will live with this and pray for these families every day. This may sound strange, but I have a lot of love for these families…I feel terrible about what they are going through with the loss of their loves ones. I wish that I could take it back,” Drue told the board. “That’s something that I’m just disgusted that I am the reason that they will not be going home to their families ever again. It’s something that I pray for their families every day. I just want them to be okay. There’s nothing that I can do to fix it. I wish that there was something I could do. I pray.”

At the time of the parole interview in 2022, Drue was denied parole.

However, after Thursday’s decision, Drue was released for good behavior.