Wallingford Man Claimed He Hit A Deer In Fatal Hit-And-Run Crash

NORTH HAVEN, CT — The Wallingford man charged in connection to a fatal hit-and-run that killed a North Haven woman while she was walking with her family in March told police that he thought he hit a deer the night of the incident, according to the Meriden Record-Journal. Maureen Munzner, 57, was walking with her two children on Ridge Road at about 5:30 p.m. on March 11 when she was struck by a car that fled the scene. She was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.

North Haven Police announced last week that Mark Rubino, 40, had been arrested following a lengthy investigation by the South Central Connecticut Traffic Unit. Police initially listed a Meriden address for Rubino, but he is listed as a Wallingford resident in court documents.

The Record-Journal reports Rubino called 911 the night of the crash to report that he had hit a deer near the Hamden/North Haven line. Rubino told police he stopped immediately and saw the deer stand up and run away and in a sworn statement said he was “almost positive” about the truthfulness of the information, according to the Record-Journal.

"North Haven Ofc. Marcus Artaiz was the lead investigator and worked in collaboration with his SCCTU partners as well as surrounding towns, to develop a suspect," police said at the time of the arrest. "Over the coming months Ofc. Artaiz and SCCTU interviewed numerous witness, reviewed surveillance footage, obtained multiple search warrants, and collected physical evidence to be examined by the State Forensic Laboratory.”

Rubino was arrested on a warrant July 5 and charged with evasion of responsibility in operating a motor vehicle causing death, misconduct with a motor vehicle, no insurance and failure to drive in proper lane.

Rubino appeared in court last Thursday and Barbara Ringuette, Maureen Munzner’s sister-in-law, told WTNH News 8 it was difficult being in the same room and she has “never felt so much hate towards a person.”

Rubino is scheduled to appear in court again on Aug. 13.

Read more at the Meriden Record-Journal here and WTNH News 8 here.

See also: Community Rallies Around Family After Tragic Death In North Haven