Cabbie who struck man pleads guilty to DUI

PEABODY – The cab driver who struck and severely injured a Lynn man outside Salem State College last year pleaded guilty to charges from the accident Wednesday in Peabody District Court.Anthony DiGirolamo, 33, of East Boston, pleaded guilty to drunken driving and negligent operation of a vehicle. Judge James O’Leary sentenced him to serve 90 days of a two-year jail sentence.The horrific accident occurred a few minutes after Marblehead Police Officer Paul Belyea pulled DiGirolamo over for driving the wrong way down a one-way street and let him go.DiGirolamo had two passengers in his taxi when he struck Michael Strakus, 18, of 52 Reed St., Lynn, and his friend Scott Poore, 18, of Stoneham, after Strakus’ car broke down on Lafayette Street in Salem.Salem police said Strakus was hit so hard he bounced off the windshield of the taxi and landed face-first onto the flatbed of a tow truck that was there to assist with the broken down car.Strakus spent 17 days in the hospital with broken facial bones and severe lacerations to various body parts.DiGirolamo received 10 days time served in his jail sentence because he spent 10 days in jail before making bail, according to court records. This means he could be eligible for parole in just over one month.The Strakus family is pursuing a civil lawsuit against DiGirolamo and the cab company, Ride Right Transportation of Revere and the Price Towing Company.