A man with a prior DUI arrest on his lengthy record was arrested on Oct. 23 and accused of striking two pedestrians with his car and fleeing the scene. One of the men died of brain injuries suffered in the car accident. The man reportedly admitted being high on drugs at the time and may have been drunk as well.
The man was driving in Waterbury around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 when he reached an intersection where the victims were walking. News reports provide few details of what happened next, perhaps because investigators are still piecing together the accident, but the defendant’s car struck both men, causing head injuries to a 17-year-old male and harming the leg and hip of his companion, a 21-year-old man.
Both victims were rushed to the hospital, but the 17-year-old died of his injuries the following afternoon. The older man was in stable condition as of Oct. 24.
The driver did not remain at the accident scene. When police found him at his home the next day, he reportedly admitted covering up the damage to his car with a towel and monitoring the news to see if either victim had died. He said he had planned to turn himself in. According to WTNH-TV, he allegedly told a roommate that he had been “high, not too high” on the road.
It can be frustrating to hear about cases of hit-and-run accidents. When someone is injured by a car, every moment counts. Leaving instead of remaining to alert authorities could delay emergency medical care, possibly worsening the injuries’ effects.
