Declan Kot, 22, of Easton, has been arrested and charged in connection with the hit-and-run crash that killed 32-year-old Marileidy Morel Araujo, 32, of Matamoras, Pennsylvania.
She was struck on Redding Road in Fairfield while walking a dog, according to the warrant, and someone driving by found Araujo at 7:42 p.m. that night.
Araujo was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 8:58 p.m., according to police.
Araujo’s boyfriend said they were in Connecticut to go to his sister’s Fourth of July barbecue and Araujo had taken their dog, Coal, out for a walk when she was struck.
The medical examiner determined that Araujo died of blunt force trauma to the lower back of the head and neck.
The medical examiner determined that Araujo died of blunt force trauma to the lower back of the head and neck.
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The arrest warrant says Kot told police he had been drinking on the Fourth of July and said he drank four Royal alcohol drinks and two vodka drinks he called “nooners” on a friend’s boat in Black Rock, then dropped his girlfriend off in Fairfield between 6:45 p.m. and 7 p.m., then took Redding Road to get home in Easton.
While driving home, Kot heard a loud bang on the side of his vehicle and thought that he’d hit a tree branch, the arrest warrant says.
Police noted there were no branches or shrubs in the area that a vehicle could have struck.
Kot admitted that he later learned that there was a fatal hit-and-run on Redding Road and thought he could have been responsible, but panicked and didn’t know what to do, the arrest warrant says.
It goes on to say that he bought a new side-view mirror and replaced the one on his vehicle.
Kot initially told investigators that he did not see anyone in the area at the time of the accident, then said he did see a woman on the side of the road but did not think he hit her, the arrest warrant says.
Police reviewed Kot’s phone and found a text message that referenced being on a boat and “got hammered” so someone drove his truck to her house, then he “slept it off” and later dropped someone off at a friend’s party,
Kot has been charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle; evading responsibility with death resulting; failure to drive in a proper lane; tampering with physical evidence; and additional charges.
He pleaded not guilty, was released on a promise to appear. He is due in court on July 30.
