The Hartford Courant has reported that a man arraigned on DUI manslaughter charges due to a wreck that killed one man and injured a young girl, had partially consumed containers of rum, beer and malt beverages in his vehicle.
Glastonbury resident C.C., 23, was arrested on November 17, 2012 and arraigned in Superior Court on January 2, 2013.
C.C. faces charges that include first-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle and operating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The North Central Accident Reconstruction Squad conducted an investigation of the crash. It was determined that C.C. drove into a tree, located on a dirt road that was behind a commercial building at 1371 Farmington Avenue.
According to police, killed was C.C.'s friend, M.M., 40, also a resident of Farmington. M.M.'s 16-year-old daughter, A.L., was injured.
The warrant states that the car crash occurred on August 12, 2012, just before 6 p.m. in Farmington. M.M. piloted the vehicle, a 2002 Subaru Impreza, while A.L. sat in the front passenger seat and her father was in the right rear seat.
Police stated that all three occupants were secured in seatbelts at the time of the accident.
Occupants in a second car – allegedly not following behind the Subaru – told the officers that they were not engaged in a race. C.C. told police at the scene, "No, we were just having fun."
C.C. admitted to investigators that he had consumed Captain Morgan spiced rum mixed with Pepsi prior to the accident. However, he was unable to tell officers just how many drinks he had.
Officers located several open alcoholic beverages in C.C.'s Subaru: one third of the fluid remained in a 1.75 liter bottle of rum, several empty 12 ounce Busch beer cans and six empty bottles of Mike's Hard Lemonade. An additional 30 pack of Busch beer was found in the vehicle, also opened.
According to C.C., the entire group was headed to a warehouse owned by the M.M. family to shoot pool.
A.L. told police that while M.M. drove her father had to ask him to slow down. A.L. said that C.C. "suddenly gunned the engine and took off down the dirt road" and failed to heed to her father's request until he slammed on the brakes.
Then, according to C.C., the brakes failed and they were stopped in their path by a large tree.
Police said that L.L. sustained several injuries including a fractured right clavicle, a fractured right hand, a sprained back, a sprained left foot, bruised hips, a bruised collar bone, chipped teeth and cuts on her chin and back.
M.M. suffered with chest trauma – the seatbelt that held him in place also tore his aorta.
Though C.C. claimed that his brakes had failed, investigators found nothing that suggested that C.C. attempted to brake, or that the brake's failed.
An attorney that is experienced in these types of cases can defend charges stemming from DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI. Contact a DUI attorney for help today!