Man Charged In Fatal New London Crash Dies, Case Dismissed

NEW LONDON, CT — A man charged in a fatal, fiery crash on the Gold Star Bridge in April 2023 has died, according to The Day of New London.

Reginald Collins, 60, died due to cancer. The charges against him were officially dismissed in New London Superior Court, The Day reported.

Collins was charged following a crash with a home heating oil truck on the I-95 bridge.

The accident occurred when Collins, in a 2006 Toyota Avalon, was driving on I-95 south and had a tire failure. The car then crossed several lanes and stopped in the right lane, in front of a tanker truck carrying home heating oil. The truck struck the back of the car, which led to the truck rolling over and bursting into flames.

The truck's driver, Wallace Joseph Fauquet III, 42, of Stonington, was killed in the crash. The fire engulfed the immediate area to include both vehicles and portions of the Gold Star Bridge, state police said.

A total of 2,200 gallons of fuel spilled out after the crash.

Police said in an arrest warrant that Collins "created a traffic hazard by remaining stationary within the right acceleration lane and failing to move the vehicle out of the travel lane to a safe location."

However, Collins' relatives and his attorney viewed the crash as an accident and said that he should not have been charged, according to The Day.

Collins had pleaded not guilty to charges of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, improper parking, failure to register his vehicle, and illegally operating a vehicle without proper insurance coverage, FOX 61 reported.