Manslaughter, DUI Charges Filed In Mansfield Car-Motorcycle Collision

MANSFIELD, CT — A 22-year-old New York City man has been charged with manslaughter and drunken driving in connection with a fatal crash in November involving his Audi A4 and a motorcycle.

Luke Silver, who was 21 when the crash took place, surrendered at the state police Troop C barracks Sunday. He posted a $35,000 bond and is due in Rockville Superior Court on Sept. 19 to face charges that include second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, driving under the influence and failure to drive upon right, records show.

The crash took place at 4 p.m. on Nov. 5 on Middle Turnpike, just east of Bone Hill Road, according to police records.

Roy S. Herzlich, 60, of Bloomfield, died in the crash. According to police records, Herzlich and a 71-year-old man from East Hartford were traveling west on Harley-Davidson motorcycles in a group of about 10 when an Audi A4 heading east and.being driven by Silver slammed into Herzlich’s bike head-on, causing the two motorcycles to collide. The 71-year-old suffered minor injuries and was taken to Windham Hospital, while Silver and a passenger in the Audi, a 21-year-old woman, were not hurt, police said.

According to a warrant released by state police after Silver's arrest, his passenger told state police that Silver had consumed "multiple alcoholic beverages" prior to the collision. One witness told state police she had left the scene on foot and was carrying dress shoes on Middle Turnpike. She eventually cooperated with the investigation, according to the warrant.

Silver remained at the scene and agreed to a sobriety tests, which yielded blood alcohol levels of .10 and .09, both above the Connecticut impaired driving standard of .08, according to the warrant.

One of the riders in the motorcycle group said he saw the Audi cross over the yellow line and hit the bikes ridden by Herzlich.

According to the warrant, the state medical examiner's office said the cause of death was, "blunt injuries of torso, extremities and head in an accident — unhelmeted operator in a motorcycle crash."

According to the warrant, Silver's Audi was traveling at between 38 and 41 mph before it crossed into the path of the motorcycles.