Deadly Crash Happened on Valentine’s Day

After concluding an investigation into a double-fatal accident in Enfield, police are expected to file manslaughter charges against a driver. The deadly crash happened on Valentine’s Day, and the driver is already accused of hit and run. Technically speaking, the 46-year-old man was already charged with evading responsibility in the collision.

A police report states that the man’s pickup truck crashed into a Nissan Sentra on Broad Brook Road around 1 a.m. on Feb. 14. According to a witness, the truck hit the back of the car while both vehicles were headed south. The Nissan’s driver, a 32-year-old man, was ejected from the car but survived. Two of his passengers, a 57-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, were killed. A third passenger, a 31-year-old woman, survived the crash.

The man facing charges was acquainted with the victims, authorities said. All of them had been hanging out at Joanna’s Café in Somers for several hours preceding the crash. After the accident, the man driving the pickup fled the scene. Police were unable to determine whether he was impaired when the crash occurred because he was not arrested until more than 12 hours later.

A witness to the accident told police that both vehicles were speeding. He said he believed that the truck was chasing the Sentra. The pickup driver told police that he hit his head on his windshield and could not recall what happened after the crash. He claimed he didn’t know what actually occurred, only that he made it home and went to bed.

Whatever police determine in the course of this investigation, the surviving victims of the crash and the families of those who perished will likely need legal representation to ensure their rights are protected. Victims or their families could be entitled to compensation for injuries or the wrongful death of loved ones.

Source: Hartford Courant, “Manslaughter Charges Anticipated In Enfield Double-Fatal Crash,” Christine Dempsey, Aug. 15, 2012