CONCORD — A former Fortune 500 executive from Sunapee who drove across the median on Interstate 89 in Lebanon seven years ago, killing a pregnant woman and her fiancé, has been granted parole following an emotional hearing Thursday.

Robert Dellinger, 60, appeared in person for a parole hearing at the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord and apologized for causing the December 2013 crash that killed Amanda Murphy, 24, and Jason Timmons, 29. Dellinger pleaded guilty in 2015 to two counts of negligent homicide and second-degree assault for the death of their unborn child.

“I can only tell you how sorry I am for what happened,” Dellinger said during his hearing, according to video of the proceeding from WMUR. “It’s obviously had a severe impact on a number of people.”

Dellinger, who has suffered from multiple sclerosis since 1999 came to the hearing in a wheelchair. He said the day of the crash he was emotionally distressed and “in a bad state.”

“I left my home because I was frustrated with how I was feeling,” Dellinger said, adding “I shouldn’t have been driving.”

Following Dellinger’s statement, the board approved his parole under the conditions that he complete a mental health assessment within 30 days of his release, engage in follow-up and aftercare treatment, take all prescribed medications and have no contact with the family of the victims, according to Amanda Johnson, a supervisor with the New Hampshire Parole Board.

“He was very remorseful in the opinion of the parole board,” board chairwoman Jennifer Sargent said in an interview Friday, explaining why the board chose to grant his release.

Family members for Murphy and Timmons were not present at the hearing. Messages to the family were not returned Friday.

Cathy Green, an attorney representing Dellinger, echoed Sargent’s words, writing in a message to the Valley News on Friday that Dellinger has always been “extremely remorseful for causing this tragic acc ident.”

“He understands the hurt he has caused. He is a good and decent man and appreciates the support of family and friends,” she wrote.

Prosecutors have said Dellinger was trying to take his own life when he intentionally drove his pickup truck over the median of I-89 between exits 18 and 19 in 2013. He collided head-on with an SUV driven by Murphy, who was eight months pregnant, with Timmons as the passenger.

According to prosecutors, Dellinger was under the influence of a controlled drug at the time of the crash, Senior Attorney General Geoffrey Ward wrote in court documents in January. But Steven Gordon, Dellinger’s trial attorney, asserted he was suffering symptoms of withdrawal from Ambien as well as the effects of psychiatric medication that had been prescribed to him at the time.

Dellinger received a nine-year sentence in 2015, with credit for his time in jail following the crash.

In July, a Superior Court judge reduced his sentence by one year, citing Dellinger’s good behavior as well as his health, which has deteriorated while he’s been in prison.

Before Dellinger had to give up his corporate career in 2011 because of his MS symptoms, he had been the CFO at PPG Industries Inc. in Pittsburgh and held top positions at Sprint, Delphi and General Electric.

Anna Merriman can be reached at amerriman@vnews or 603-727-3216.

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