Teenage Girl Struck, Killed By Distracted Driver In East Windsor

EAST WINDSOR, CT — A distracted driver who admitted to police he was sending and receiving text messages while operating his vehicle struck a pedestrian on Route 140 Sunday afternoon. The pedestrian, a 14-year-old girl, later died of her injuries, according to police.

Jesse Pincince, 37, of Ellington, was arrested following the collision and charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, second-degree manslaughter, criminal misconduct with a motor vehicle, reckless driving and a pair of traffic violations. Bond was set at $350,000, and he is slated to appear Monday in Hartford Superior Court.

According to a police report, numerous 911 calls had reported an erratic driver on Interstate 91 northbound, and one of the callers had given a dispatcher the registration plate number of the vehicle. The vehicle left the highway at Exit 45 and turned east, running a red light at the junction of Routes 5 and 140 by Sofia's Plaza. Moments later, around 3:15 p.m., the girl was struck in the vicinity of 150 North Road.

During a subsequent investigation, Pincince admitted "he had been sending and receiving text messages while driving and had not seen the pedestrian walking on the side of the road," according to the report.

Police did not release the name of the victim, stating only she was a 14-year-old student from Enfield.