Reginald Collins, 59, of New London, has been charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance and improper parking.
A man is now facing charges connected to a fiery crash on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in Groton last year.
State police say 59-year-old Reginald Collins turned himself in early Wednesday morning and was taken into custody. He now faces several charges, including negligent homicide with a motor vehicle.
The incident happened on April 21, 2023. A tanker truck carrying home heating oil struck Collins' 2006 Toyota Avalon, which he stopped in the far right lane of Gold Star Memorial Bridge.
The tanker truck flipped over, went up in flames, and the truck driver was killed.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
"The actions of stopping in the lane is what caused this accident, which was a highly dangerous situation," Sgt. Luke Davis said.
According to court documents, Collins got four tires changed and drove his car to test the tires. He also told police the tires he had purchased were used.
When he got onto the bridge, he noticed something was wrong with the car's steering. Collins moved into the right lane, got out of his car, and found one of the tires was shredded.
Local
Dash camera footage from a witness reveals Collins' hazard lights on were not on as the witness vehicle passed, according to the affidavit.
Collins told police he got back in his car to move it into the right shoulder, but that's when the truck hit him from behind.
"The charge of negligent homicide with motor vehicle is usually used in a circumstance like this. When one's actions on the roadway, due to inattentiveness, carelessness, recklessness, results in somebody else's death," Davis said.
Davis urges all drivers to pull over to the right shoulder and call 911 right away if you're experiencing a problem with your car on the highway.
"Circumstances like this, they are always tragic events. Our condolences go out to the family of the gentleman who lost his life in this accident, and we hope that the arrest brings some semblance of closure here," Davis said.
