Discarded McDonald's Cup Leads Police to Fatal Hit-and-Run Driver: PD

NEW HAVEN, CT — To the layman a spilled McDonald's sweet tea in the roadway means little. To the members of the New Haven Crash Team it was a vital clue that led them to arrest a man who was involved in a fatal hit-and-run, according to police.

Police investigated a fatal hit-and-run Oct. 8 involving a motorcycle near Whalley and Osborne avenues, said Officer David Hartman, police spokesman. Officers spotted a motorcycle performing a slow wheel stand where the operator lifts the front wheel of the bike off the ground and rides on the rear wheel.

Moments later the motorcycle collided with an SUV, which fled the scene, Hartman said.

Rider Garry Gulledge, 31, of Oakville died from his injuries.

NHPD Crash Team members Robert DuPont, Jason Rentkowicz, Rose Dell and Paul Finch combed the area for potential evidence. They found a plastic rocker panel in the road along with a discarded McDonald's cup and bar-b-que sauce container.

"The beverage that the cup contained was now splattered across the road," Hartman said. "DuPont suspected it was tea and that it was fresh as no cars had yet driven through it."

Dell took the rocker panel to a local Honda dealership and learned it belonged to a 2003-2007 Acura MDX.

Finch headed to the McDonald's on the 1000 block on Whalley Avenue. An Acura MDX was spotted on surveillance going through the drive through and the operator purchased a large drink and other items shortly before the crash. He had paid by credit card.

Police obtained a search warrant for the receipt and learned that the transaction included a large sweet tea bar-b-que sauce. Another warrant was obtained to learn the credit card holder's name. It belonged to a woman in New Haven.

They interviewed the woman who said she was a passenger in a grey Acura and that she and her boyfriend went to McDonald's to get food, Hartman said. She said the tea flew through the open window when they hit a bump in the road and claimed to know nothing of the collision. She also saw the suspect vehicle on a news report and confronted her boyfriend. They had planned to talk to police, she said.

Roger Sullivan Jr., 22, of New Haven was interviewed the same day and gave a similar account. He said he didn't know he collided with a motorcyclist.

The Acura MDX was inspected by police and damage was consistent with the crash. There were no catastrophic mechanical failures, Hartman said.

Surveillance of the crash showed the motorcycle traveling about 47.24 mph and that Gulledge attempted to avoid impact with SUV, laid down the bike and was ejected from it.

Sullivan was charged with negligent homicide, felony evading and making an improper turn.