Man Accused of Running Over Geese Intentionally in Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A 68-year-old Southington man is facing an animal cruelty charge for an incident with geese crossing a local road, police said.

Friday at 10:13 a.m., the Southington Police Dept. received a report about "multiple" geese being struck by a motor vehicle on Welch Road near Mount Vernon Road.

Police were told that witnesses were on scene and they had the driver who can over the geese stopped in his vehicle in the roadway, according to a report.

Police units and Animal Control officers were dispatched to the scene. Thomas Guerrette, 68 of
Southington was issued a misdemeanor summons charging him with cruelty to animals, police said.

Guerrette is scheduled to appear in Bristol Superior Court on June 12.

Police said Guerrette was driving his Chevrolet pick-up truck westbound on Welch Road when the vehicle struck a family of geese that was attempting to cross the road. Guerrette said he took his eyes off of the road to look at a housing development and when he looked back. the geese were in front of him. He said he tried to avoid the geese but he was unable to and he hit the geese, according to a report.

Then a vehicle pulled into his lane and he stopped, according to a report.

Police said they interviewed several witnesses who claimed Guerrette intentionally hit the geese, a report indicates. One witness claimed he stopped for the family of geese to cross the street and allegedly Guerrette’s vehicle initially slowed, but then it accelerated and struck the geese, according to a report.

A second witness said he was traveling behind Guerrette’s vehicle and said the truck appeared to swerve into the geese and did not brake to avoid the hitting the geese, according to a report.

Two goslings were killed in the incident and a third had to be euthanized at the scene due to the severity of its injuries, police said.

Patch File Photo