East Windsor

Police Identify 14-Year-Old Girl Hit and Killed in East Windsor

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Police Tuesday released the identity of the 14-year-old girl who was hit and killed by a pickup truck on Sunday.

They say Jaylene Gonzalez, of Enfield, was walking along North Road, also known as Route 140, around 3:15 p.m. when she was hit.

Police said before the crash, they had received several 911 calls about the car driving erratically on I-91 and then off the highway in East Windsor.

“(The caller) described initially to the dispatchers that he was almost hitting vehicles,” said East Windsor Police lieutenant, Matthew Carl.

Police say that caller, followed the black pickup truck and saw it go through a red light at the intersection of Bridge Street and Prospect Hill on Rte 140. Shortly after, police say Pincince was texting while driving when he struck the victim, while she was walking with her 12-year-old cousin on North Road.

“I want to be very clear, they were not in the travel portion of the road at the time,” said Lieutenant Carl.

Gonzalez was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries and was placed on life support. She later died at the hospital, police said.

Enfield School Superintendent, Christopher Drezek, said Gonzalez was a freshman at Enfield High School. Grief counselors were at the school throughout the day.

Officers interviewed the driver, 37-year-old Jesse Robert Pincince, of Ellington, who told them he had been texting while driving and didn't see the girl walking along the side of the road, according to police.

Police also used an expert to determine Pincince had a medical condition that impacted his ability to drive a car, East Windsor police said.

Pincince is charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving, misconduct with a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle while using a handheld electronic device, and violating traffic control signals.

Facing a judge at Hartford Superior Court, Pincince was arraigned Monday. His lawyer asked for leniency, calling it a horrible accident.

The judge, noting Pincince’s cooperation with police, reduced his initial bond from $350,000 to $200,000. It is unclear if he has posted bond.

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