Man Charged With Assault, DUI After Serious Car Crash: Police

STAMFORD, CT — Police announced on Wednesday that a 27-year-old Stamford man faces a series of charges after a serious car accident with injuries occurred on Ocean Drive West on June 5.

According to Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad Supervisor Jeffrey Booth, Malvin Nunez was arrested at his home on Tuesday and charged with second-degree assault, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, operating under the influence, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and possession of narcotics. He was released after posting a $100,000 court-set bond, and has an arraignment date of Aug. 24.

Booth said in a news release that around 4:45 a.m. on June 5, Nunez was driving a 2019 Subaru WRX at a high speed westbound on Ocean Drive West when he failed to handle a curve in the roadway. Booth said the car struck a mounted curb and then snapped a utility pole in half, sending wires into the roadway. The car then rolled onto its side and came to rest in a private driveway at the corner of Ocean Drive West and Saddle Rock Road.

The passenger in the car, a 23-year-old Stamford resident, was trapped and had to be removed through the windshield, Booth said. The passenger and Nunez suffered life-threatening injuries and were treated at Stamford Hospital.

"During the investigation, officers developed probable cause to apply for a search warrant for results of toxicological tests performed on Nunez’s blood," Booth said in a news release.

The tests showed that Nunez was operating his car with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent, Booth said, which is almost double the legal limit of .08 percent. The tests also indicated a positive result for marijuana, and Booth noted that Nunez was in possession "of several small plastic baggies of a white powdery substance that later tested positive for cocaine."

Video evidence recovered by investigators showed Nunez driving recklessly at speeds in excess of 95 mph prior to the crash.

Officer Daniel Oliva applied for an arrest warrant, which was granted by Stamford Superior Court, Booth said. Officer Lindsey Yanicky also investigated the crash.