Griswold, CT – A 96-year-old Branford woman was fatally injured during a crash on Taylor Hill Rd Sunday afternoon. State Troopers spent hours tracking the occupants of the other vehicle on foot.
According to the Connecticut State Police (CSP), at approximately 4:44 pm on Sunday, June 9th, 2024, Troop E Troopers responded to the intersection of Taylor Hill Road and Oakville Road, Griswold for reports of a motor vehicle accident with serious injuries. It was later confirmed that a 96-year-old woman from Branford was fatally injured.
When Troopers arrived on the scene they found a gold Audi A6 Quattro with heavy front-end damage. The Audi’s driver-side door was open, and no occupants were present. It was later determined the vehicle was utilizing a license plate from another vehicle.
Troopers also found a GMC Acadia with its airbags deployed. Within the vehicles, the 96-year-old Branford woman, who was a second-row passenger, was complaining of severe back pain. The woman was being rendered aid by the front seat passenger, a 59-year-old Old Saybrook woman who later reported minor injuries to herself. The operator, a 69-year-old Old Saybrook man was uninjured.
The operator of the GMC explained to troopers, that he was traveling westbound on Oakville Rd when he stopped at the four-way intersection before proceeding through the intersection. A vehicle then struck them at high speed triggering the airbags. Witnesses later corroborated the man’s account.
The crash was initially reported to have at least one person entrapped in the vehicle. When units arrived on the scene they discovered nobody mechanically entrapped.
With EMS on the scene rendering aid to the occupants of the GMC, troopers began an additional search of the Audi. Troopers confirmed there were no occupants within the vehicle but they observed drug paraphernalia, a knife, and other items in plain view. A witness later provided descriptions of the occupants and information that they fled in the direction of Voluntown Rd.
Both passengers of the GMC were transported to Backus Hospital, Norwich by American Ambulance. The 96-year-old woman was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Troopers began searching for the occupants and located a man matching the description in the area of RT 138 and Oakville Road. The man, identified as a 26-year-old Norwich man, was transported to the hospital with suspected minor injuries.
Troopers performing the investigation then obtained video evidence from a witness depicting three white males fleeing the vehicle. One of the troopers on the scene identified one of the males, believed to be the operator, from previous interactions.
At approximately 7:05 pm Troop E received multiple 911 calls reporting a male, matching the description of the operator, walking through the woods in the area of Jerome Parkway and Norman Road. The man was located and taken into custody behind the Indian Ridge Apartments in Jewett City at approximately 7:45 pm. During transport to the Troop E barracks the Trooper observed signs of impairment and the operator admitted to consuming “intoxicating substances”. During booking, Troopers determined the operator was wearing a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor which he had tampered with rendering it inoperable.
A search of the man revealed a plastic bag containing pills. A field test was conducted on the unidentified pills, resulting in a positive reaction for Fentanyl. More than $4,000 in cash was also found on the man.
Before troopers could finish the arrest process, the man requested medical treatment for minor injuries. He was transported to an area hospital where he declined to provide blood, breath, or urine samples, and declined to participate in any questioning related to the collision. The man was charged with the below charges and was arraigned on June 10th while still receiving medical treatment. He is being held on a $1,500,000 bond and was transferred to the custody of the Connecticut Department of Correction.
- C.G.S. 53a-115, Criminal Mischief
- C.G.S. 53a-222, Violation of Conditions of Release
- C.G.S. 53a-167a, Interfering
- C.G.S. 21a-279, Possession of a Controlled Substance
- C.G.S. 21a-278a, Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell
- C.G.S. 14-227a, Operating Under the Influence
- C.G.S. 14-224a, Evading Responsibility Resulting in Death
Agencies that responded, or were dispatched, included the Griswold Volunteer Fire Department, Jewett City Fire Department, Voluntown Volunteer Fire Co. No.1, American Ambulance Service, and the Connecticut State Police.