(1) Whoever, upon any way or in any place to which the public has a right of access, or upon any way or in any place to which members of the public have access as invitees or licensees, operates a motor vehicle with a percentage, by weight, of alcohol in their blood of eight one-hundredths or greater, or while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or marihuana, narcotic drugs, depressants, or stimulant substances, all as defined in section one of chapter ninety-four C, or while under the influence from smelling or inhaling the fumes of any substance having the property of releasing toxic vapors as defined in section 18 of chapter 270, and so operates a motor vehicle recklessly or negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, and by any such operation so described causes serious bodily injury, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two and one-half years nor more than ten years and by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not less than six months nor more than two and one-half years and by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars.
The sentence imposed upon such person shall not be reduced to less than six months, nor suspended, nor shall any person convicted under this subsection be eligible for probation, parole, or furlough or receive any deduction from his sentence until such person has served at least six months of such sentence; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may, on the recommendation of the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of a correctional institution, or of the administrator of a county correctional institution, grant to an offender committed under this subsection a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such institution for the following purposes only: to attend the funeral of a relative; to visit a critically ill relative; to obtain emergency medical or psychiatric services unavailable at said institution; or to engage in employment pursuant to a work release program. Prosecutions commenced under this subdivision shall neither be continued without a finding nor placed on file.
The provisions of section eighty-seven of chapter two hundred and seventy-six shall not apply to any person charged with a violation of this subdivision.