Reginald Collins, 59, of New London, has been charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance and improper parking.
State police have charged a man in connection with a fatal fiery crash on the Gold Star Bridge last year.
Reginald Collins, 59, of New London, has been charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance and improper parking.
State police responded to the southbound side of the bridge around 11:22 a.m. on April 21 after an oil tanker rolled over.
They then learned that a tire on the Toyota Avalon that Collins was driving failed and deflated and he stopped the car in the right acceleration lane of the bridge, according to an arrest warrant.
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Soon after the Avalon stopped, a tractor-trailer carrying home heating oil hit the back of it, rolled over and caught fire, according to state police.
The fire engulfed the truck, the car and parts of the bridge.
The driver of the tractor-trailer died and Collins and a passenger in his car sustained injuries that are not life-threatening, state police said.
When police spoke with him, Collins said he had purchased four used tires on the car and had them changed around 10 a.m. that day, then drove the car to test them.
When he got onto the bridge, the car’s steering “felt funny and the car began to jump,” the arrest warrant says.
Then he changed lanes, stopped to check the tires and found that the front driver’s side tire was shredded.
He then called someone from his cell phone, got back into the car and the truck hit him soon after.
The passenger who had been in the Avalon told police that the shaking got really bad when they were on the bridge and the front passenger side tire was shredded as well.
She told police that she was able to get out of the car, but Collins was unconscious, and good Samaritans showed up and got him out of the car.
As police investigated the crash, witnesses provided statements and video of what happened before the crash.
The arrest warrant says the driver of the truck should not have been operating a commercial vehicle carrying a “placardable amount of hazardous materials,” but that does not negate the role that Collins had in failing to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk by stopping the Avalon in the right lane of travel on Interstate 95.
Police also determined that the driver of the truck took evasive action but struck the Avalon.
Investigators found that Collins created a traffic hazard by failing to move the car out of the travel lane and to a safe location.
The arrest warrant says state police discovered that Collins’ registration had been suspended as of Dec. 22, 2022, and the insurance coverage was canceled on Aug. 8, 2022, so the vehicle was neither registered nor insured at the time of the crash.
"It’s difficult to comment without seeing the accident reconstruction report. We currently only have the arrest warrant affidavit. Once we get everything and have it reviewed by our experts we will be in a better position to determine what we're dealing with here. I will say this however, I am shocked that this is the outcome of the state’s investigation. My client's vehicle was disabled and he was struck from behind by the truck. Yes this was a very tragic accident where a man lost his life but my client is also a victim and we intend to do everything we can to not only clear his name of any wrong doing but also get him the money he deserves to help pay for his medical treatment and compensate him for his physical and emotional pain and suffering," Collins' attorney, Anthony C. Basilica, said in a statement.
Collins' bond was set at $25,000.
State police said their condolences go out to the family of the man who died.
They urge anyone who has a problem with their vehicle while on the highway to pull over to the right shoulder and call 911 right away. They also urge drivers to leave enough space between the vehicle they are driving and the one in front of it.
