Somers Man Charged In Vernon Fatal Hit-And-Run Crash

VERNON, CT — A Somers man on Monday was arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash in Vernon last week.

Vernon police said Philip Holmes, 41, was taken into custody in East Granby where he works. Holmes was charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle, evading responsibility causing death, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was held overnight at the Vernon Police Department on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Tuesday.

"Since the crash, investigators have worked hard — with the help of the community — to locate who was responsible for this tragedy," Vernon Police Department spokesman Lt. William Meier said. "Though the case is still open, we have made an arrest."

The crash took place at about 3 p.m. Tuesday as 44-year-old Andrew Aggarwala and his dog, Ollie, were walking on Phoenix Street. Vernon police received a 911 call from a passerby who found Aggarwala on the side of the road in front of 151 Phoenix St. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver fled the area and the dog ran off, police said.

A breakthrough in the investigation was connected to three checkpoints set up the next day — two along Phoenix Street and another at the depot area on the rail trail system. Police interviewed drivers as they passed through the area.

Meier said information gathered at the checkpoints led to the seizure of a "vehicle of interest." He said Friday a suspect had been pinpointed but declined to elaborate. Police have been in close contact with the family throughout the investigation, Meier said.

The charges were then filed Monday.

According to an arrest warrant, two witnesses heard a "thud" near the crash site. One was in a home adjacent to the crash and another was near 134 Phoenix St. The second witness told police he yelled at the driver of a speeding truck, which was followed by the driver of a speeding four-door sedan, before hearing the thud, according to the warrant.

The witness estimated the sedan driver's speed at 50 mph, like a car "getting on the highway," according to the warrant.

Police recovered 25 pieces of evidence at the scene, including an assortment of broken automobile parts resembling light assemblies, according to the warrant. The parts were consistent with a 2011 to 2013 Hyundai Sonata, which appeared in the area on a home surveillance video near the time of the crash with damage consistent with the debris, according to the warrant.

Holmes drove into one of the Phoenix Street checkpoints the following day and was questioned after police noticed damage consistent with the crash on his Sonata and a straw inside the vehicle consistent with drug use, according to the warrant. He was apparently on his way to a relative's in Manchester.

"The officers at the checkpoint were prepared," Meier said, adding he could not comment on whether Holmes frequented the area.

The vehicle was seized. Blood and hair was found outside the vehicle and heroin residue and paraphernalia consistent with heroin was also located in the Sonata, according to the warrant. Holmes said he thought he struck a mailbox, according to a warrant.

Holmes changed his story several times during interrogation, according to a warrant.

Ollie, a 6-month-old mixed breed, was located at about 9:15 a.m. Saturday on Brighton Lane, less than a mile from the crash scene, Meier said.

Meier said a resident of Brighton Lane was reviewing his overnight home surveillance footage and noticed a dog that resembled Ollie. The homeowner coaxed Ollie toward him and corralled him, Meier said. The dog appeared to be healthy and was returned to his family.

Meier said family members were relieved to get the dog back and thankful for those who searched for the dog.

See more on the crash and Aggarwala's popularity as a local soccer coach and family man here.