A man who landed a car on the construction site for the new busway and flipped over a retaining wall in West Hartford last month was under the influence of PCP and marijuana, according to police.
Police said Dennis Kelly, 29, of Hartford, was driving a stolen 2013 Nissan Altima 88 miles per hour when he hit the embankment of the railroad tracks at New Britain Avenue at Carney Road, went 57 feet over the tracks and landed on the busway construction site. The car then slid off the busway and landed on a barrier 17 feet below.
The crash happened at 11:50 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, police said, and the car Kelly was driving was equipped with a "black box" data recorder.
Kelly and his passenger, Malicia Ortiz, 29, of Hartford, were both injured. While Kelly suffered minor injuries, Ortiz was seriously injured, according to police.
Kelly has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, first-degree larceny, speeding, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, failure to drive in a proper lane and third-degree damage to railroad property.
He is being held on $75,000.
