20-Year-Old Jogger Dead After Being Hit By Drunk Driver
Police said that a 20-year-old man hit by a drunk driver while jogging in North Haven yesterday died due to life-threatening injuries he sustained as a result of the accident. Police have charged the driver with driving under the influence and assault with a motor vehicle for the accident he caused.
At about 7 p.m. on Thursday, John Liquori, of North Haven died at Yale-New Haven Hospital, according to North Haven police.
Lawyers for the family told in court that Liquori was on life support and there was no possibility for him to survive.
Police found him fainted at the accident spot and doctors had to amputate his leg, showed the incident report. Officers at the scene applied a tourniquet in an effort to stanch the bleeding.
On Wednesday afternoon, Liquori was jogging on Route 17/Middletown Avenue when 72-year-old Theodore Spalding hit him while driving drunk, said the police.
According to a witness, Spalding’s blue pickup swerved across the double yellow line, then back into its lane and onto the shoulder, where it “veered to the right directly at the pedestrian and struck him” showed the incident report.
Another witness, Christina D’Amico said, “I didn’t hear a screech or anything. I just heard, ‘boo. It didn’t sound like a person got hit because it was so loud”.
On Wednesday, Spalding was taken into custody. He told police at the scene that he didn’t know what happened and the runner just darted out in front of him. Spalding and Liquori were traveling in opposite directions when the accident happened.
The incident report showed that Spalding accepted that he had one beer earlier in the day after an officer smelled alcohol on his breath.
Spalding was issued field sobriety tests by the police officer which he failed and was taken into custody at the scene, said the police. He is charged with driving under the influence and second-degree assault with a motor vehicle.
Route 17 was closed between Cloudland Road and Great Meadow Drive for some hours while authorities investigated the reason of the accident.
Spalding was initially held on $100,000 bond, but it was decreased to $50,000 in court on Thursday. He posted bond and was released from the custody of police officers.
According to the police, any additional charges will be filed by the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Spalding and his family declined to comment on the case outside the courthouse.
News Source: www.NBCConnecticut.com