A doctor found guilty of a “ski rage” assault on a teenager has been sentenced to three 24 hour stints in jail on Valentine’s Day 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Dr. Samuel Caruthers was convicted of an assault on a then 14 year old child using his limbs and ski poles on Valentine’s Day 2016 at Mountain Creek ski area in New Jersey after the teen crashed in to Caruthers’ then 10-year old son on the nursery slopes.
Judge Thomas J. Critchley sentenced the anethesiologist to the three annual 24 hour spells in jail as a reminder of what he had done.
In as letter read by his mother in court, the teenager, now 16, said he now suffered repeated nightmares, and that references to skiing or snowboarding now debilitated him.
In addition to the total jail time Caruthers will serve three years’ probation for conviction for third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and two years’ probation on a disorderly persons offense of simple assault. He will also be required to undergo personality and psychological assessment, complete an anger management course, and carry out 200 hours of community service.
Caruthers said he had believed the teenager was an adult and was seeking to protect his son from a further assault.
It was revealed in court that Caruthers’ had previous convictions for anger related assaults and that the US Office of the Attorney General will decide whether to revoke Caruthers’ medical license.
