Clara Hinton, 22, who fled the scene of the accident that killed Genesis Baez, 22, on Bronson Street, turned herself in to Waterbury police Tuesday and has been charged with evading responsibility while operating a motor vehicle involved in an accident causing serious injury or death.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the day after the accident, police received an anonymous call identifying Hinton as the person responsible for the accident. Police said surveillance video from a residence shows Hinton losing control of her Chevrolet Malibu as she turned turned left from Cooke Street onto Bronson Street.
Her car crashed into the Honda Civic that Baez was about to get into. Baez’s boyfriend and their 5 month old daughter were already sitting in the car and were uninjured.
After the anonymous call pinned the accident on Hinton, Baez’s boyfriend, Josh Cubero, who was in the driver’s seat of the Civic when it was hit, was called to the police station to see if he could identify the person responsible for this accident. He was shown eight similar-looking females and when he came across Hinton’s picture, the police report state he began to shake and cry.
“This is her," Cubero told police. "She looked at me in my eyes and face. All she said was she did not have brakes. I saw her driving the car. I'm absolutely sure it was her."
A resident, who lives near the site of the accident, told police he immediately rushed outside after hearing the accident. He said he was “95 percent sure” Hinton was the person he saw running from the scene when he looked at mug shots provided.
Initially, Hinton, who claims to have mental health and substance abuse issues, denied involvement, but then admitted she was driving the Chevrolet Malibu that caused the crash. She told police she was on her way to get diapers for her son at the Family Dollar, a block away, when she lost control of the vehicle.
Both vehicles involved in the accident were unregistered and uninsured. A Go Fund Me page has been set up to benefit the 5-month-old and 4-year-old daughters of Baez.