GROTON — Police said a fatal crash late Thursday night in Groton on Route 184 resulted from a driver trying to escape police.
State police said that at around 10:15 p.m. they tried to stop a stolen 2013 Chevrolet Silverado with Vermont plates driven by Valery Labossiere, 27, of Medford, Massachusetts, on I-95 north near exit 86. Police said they clocked the truck going almost 100 m.p.h in a 55 m.p.h. zone.
The stolen pickup truck left the highway and crashed into a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Taylor Wilkinson, 20, of Groton, on Rt. 184 east near King’s Highway in Groton after going through a red light. After the crash, police said they found a stolen small caliber rifle in the back seat of the pickup truck.
Labossierre was taken to L&M Hospital for non-life threatening injuries and was arrested.
Wilkinson was taken to L&M Hospital for non-life threatening injuries and a passenger, Deion Pittman, 23, of Waterford, was taken to Hartford Hospital by LifeStar with serious life threatening injuries and succumbed to his injuries on Friday morning.
Labossierre was charged with first-degree larceny, sixth-degree larceny, reckless driving, disobeying an officer, engaging police in a pursuit, and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
He is due in New London Court on Friday and is being held on $150,000 bail.
Anyone who saw the crash is asked to call state polie at 203-630-8086 or to email donald.comstock@ct.gov.
