Man to serve 9 to 12 years for 2021 OUI manslaughter

TAUNTON, Mass. (WLNE) — Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, III said that a Taunton man was sentenced to serve nine to 12 years in state prison for the manslaughter of a woman in August 2021.

46-year-old Roland Escobar was charged with manslaughter while operating under the influence, leaving the scene death resulting, two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, and two counts of leaving the scene of property damage.

59-year-old Lisa Rocha was getting into her car around 4:30 p.m. on Main Street after shopping, when she was hit by Escobar before he fled the scene.

Escobar also hit several other driving and parked cars and caused his vehicle to flip.

Police said that he appeared to “display signs of an opiate induced overdose and was administered Narcan,” and a later blood test came back positive for fentanyl.

Escobar will serve three years of probation in addition to the state prison sentence.