Fatal car accidents are always a tragedy. Yet hit-and-run accidents can be especially devastating as it can be difficult to identify the driver at fault and hold them responsible. However, police in Bridgeport recently identified a woman suspected of being behind the wheel in a deadly hit-and-run accident.
Bridgeport Police arrested the suspect responsible for the December 4 hit-and-run accident that killed a 51-year-old driver. The victim’s 11-year-old son was a passenger in her vehicle but survived the collision.
The Bridgeport Police Department released a video of the accident that showed the suspect’s BMW X3 SUV crash several times into the victim’s Subaru at 6:30 a.m. The victim lost control of her vehicle which drove over a fence and crashed into a tree.
Police from Bridgeport and surrounding towns checked addresses of BMW owners received from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Police stopped at the suspect’s home and left a business card because she was away. The suspect later contacted police.
Police found damage on the suspect’s car matching the video and witness accounts. Paint particles on the on the front bumper of the suspect’s vehicle was tested at the state police crime laboratory and matched evidence on the victim’s rear bumper.
The suspect, a 16-year Department of Corrections officer, conceded that she was in the area of the crash but has not admitted any involvement in the accident. She has not been to work since the accident and admitted herself into psychiatric evaluation at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.
Police charged the suspect with manslaughter, risk of injury to a minor and evading responsibility. She was released on January 14 on a $150,000 bond.
Road rage, recklessness or negligence can lead to fatal consequences on Connecticut’s roads. Criminal charges are not the only way to hold hit-and-run drivers responsible. In some cases, victims of hit-and-run accidents can pursue the possibility of holding the hit-and-run driver responsible through a personal injury lawsuit. Victims of car accidents and their families may want to seek legal assistance regarding the possibility of seeking compensation for their injuries, lost wages and other damages.
Source: Connecticut Post, “Corrections officer arrested in fatal hit and run,” Keila Torres Ocasio, Jan. 14, 2015
