Woodstock teen gets prison time for fatal auto accident

KINGSTON – The 19-year-old Woodstock teen, who was charged with vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he crashed his car on May 19, killing a passenger in the vehicle, was sentenced Wednesday to 1 ½ to 4 ½ years in state prison.

Zephyr Dresser-Peck was with two other teens at 5:40 a.m. when they left an after-prom party on Maverick Road in Woodstock.

Killed in the crash was Andrew Dean-Lipson, 19, also of Woodstock.

Authorities had said Dresser-Peck’s car ran across the road, where he overcorrected, went off the road, became airborne and struck several trees. Dean-Lipson was thrown from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. A third boy in the car was apparently not seriously injured.

Dresser-Peck was sentenced in Ulster County Court in Kingston. Because of the large number of people who attended the sentencing, it had to be moved to a larger room. Several of those in attendance were part of, or in support of, a new group called AWARENESS alcohol program that supports education and community service as an alternative to hard prison time in cases like this.