Driver Charged With Manslaughter In Fatal 5-Car Crash In Cheshire: PD

CHESHIRE, CT — A Waterbury man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a fatal five-vehicle crash that killed his passenger last November in Cheshire, according to Connecticut State Police.

Walter H. Spencer, 64, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant in connection with the Nov. 19 crash on Highland Avenue in Cheshire.

Arthur L. Wright, 63, of Cheshire, was killed in the crash that also sent three others to the hospital.

The incident happened around 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 19 on Highland Avenue near West Johnson Avenue in Cheshire, according to state police. Wright was a passenger in a Lexus that was being driven by Spencer and traveling north on Highland Avenue before the crash.

Cheshire police were trying to stop the car before the collision, and the Lexus crossed into the southbound lane and struck a Volkswagen before returning to the north lane, where it sideswiped a Jeep, rotated counterclockwise, hit the back of a Mitsubishi, continued north, and rear-ended a Ford transit van, according to police.

Wright was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital with serious injuries, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Spencer suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was also taken to St. Mary’s, according to police.

The driver of the Mitsubishi, a 48-year-old woman from Meriden, and the driver of the Ford, a 24-year-old man from Cheshire, were both brought to MidState Medical Center for injuries that were not life-threatening, authorities said.

According to the arrest warrant, Cheshire police tried to pull over the Lexus after responding to a reported shoplifting at a liquor store. The responding police sergeant terminated the attempted stop after about 1.2 miles, according to the warrant.

Spencer wrote in a sworn statement that he went to pick up Wright at the liquor store. Spencer wrote that he originally left the liquor store after Wright allegedly told him that he was going to steal a couple of bottles of liquor and Spencer said he “didn’t want any trouble,” according to the arrest warrant.

Wright called Spencer a few minutes later and told him to pick him up. Wright allegedly told Spencer that he got caught but gave the bottles back to the store clerk and there was no longer an issue, according to Spencer.

Spencer wrote that he was driving “kind of fast” when they left the store because “I’m used to driving motorcycles and driving fast.”

Spencer wrote that about 10-15 minutes later he tried to pass a dump truck in the oncoming traffic lane, and saw a car driving directly at him so he swerved to the right to avoid that car. He then lost control of the car and crashed, according to the warrant.

“I was driving 70 mph to 75 mph at the time of the accident,” Spencer wrote. “After the accident, I got out of the car and walked to the side of the road. A short time later, the police showed up and I ended up going to the hospital to get treated for a minor bump on my head. Before the accident, I never saw any police lights or police cars behind me. I was driving fast only because I’m used to driving fast.”

Spencer was charged with first-degree manslaughter, engaging police in pursuit, interfering with officer/resisting, failure to drive upon right, conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny, evading responsibility resulting in death, evading responsibility resulting in property damage, and three counts of evading responsibility resulting in physical injury.

He was being held in lieu of a $250,000 bond, according to police.