Southington Man Ordered to Serve 15 Years for Fatal Bristol Crash

SOUTHINGTON/MERIDEN, CT — A Southington man facing charges from a crash that killed two Meriden children a year ago in Bristol was ordered to serve 15 years in prison with more in the balance, judicial system records indicate.

Michael Luponio, 27, of Southington, was arrested Feb. 26 for the Dec 13, 2015 incident, according to law enforcement and judicial system records. He was sentenced in New Britain Superior Court on Thursday.

Here is a summary of his sentencing:

• Two counts of second-degree manslaughter — 10 years in prison suspended after five for each case.
• Two counts of second-degree assault — five years in prison, suspended after 30 months for each case.

He was also given years probation, according to court records.

According to police records, at about 12:35 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2015, Luponio was in Bristol, driving north on Middle Street in the area of Pinebrook Terrace when he struck a vehicle driven by Kayla Torres, 31, of Meriden. The crash killed both of Torres’ children — Veronica Martinez, 7, and Yvette Martinez, 4.

Torres and a passenger Miguel Melendez, 35, of Bristol, were seriously injured, according to police records. Luponio and his passenger, Jonathan Oquendo-Cruz, were also seriously injured, according to police records.

Photo Credit: Bristol Police