Crime & Safety
Driver Accused of Striking, Killing Bethel Man With Car Arraigned
Woman charged with death of Fillipe Chagas of Bethel arraigned Monday at state Superior Court
A woman accused of being intoxicated when her car struck and killed two men changing a tire on Interstate 95 was arraigned Monday in state Superior Court in Stamford.
State Police said Candice N. Blanks, 39, of Stamford, was alone in her 2003 Lincoln Aviator early on Oct. 16 when she struck the men and then continued on until she was stopped by Darien Police.
The accident, reported at 2:26 a.m., resulted in the death of Fillipe Chagas, 19, of Bethel, and Lucas Silva, 22, of Stamford. They were changing a flat tire on the southbound shoulder of the highway three-tenths of a mile south of exit 11 when hit, according to State Police.
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Both died of blunt force trauma, an accident report prepared by the State Police said.
At Troop G in Bridgeport, Blanks was charged with driving while intoxicated and two counts of evasion of responsibility in operation of a motor vehicle.
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Shortly after the accident, State Police said she was also charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, but those charges have been withdrawn.
Blanks was released after posting a $250,000 bond.
In an account of how the accident occurred, State Police said Chagas and Silva were with a group of friends traveling together in two cars. One of them, a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier, developed a flat left-rear tire and its driver steered it onto the shoulder and stopped. Seeing the Cavalier stop, the driver of the second car, a 2002 Volkswagen Passat, also steered onto the shoulder and stopped.
Chagas and Silva were changing the tire on the Cavalier when Blanks drove by in the right lane and struck them. Blanks car also sideswiped the Cavalier and the Passat.
In court Monday, Blank's attorney, Darnell D. Crosland of Stamford, told Judge Robert L. Genuario the case could not proceed because the State Police had not completed their investigation.
A lawyer representing the Chagas family, Agustin Sevillano of Danbury, also participated in the arraignment. Afterwards, he said he thought the Silva family would be hiring a lawyer.The case was continued to Nov. 16.
