CONNECTICUT, USA — A former West Hartford man is facing multiple charges after allegedly driving under the influence and fleeing the scene of a fatal car crash that killed two pedestrians.
Michael Talbot, 24, of Greenwich, was detained after he was found hiding between a fence and a garage wall on Dec. 3, the day of the crash.
The police report states that at around 2:05 a.m., Stamford police received a call stating a car hit a barrier on Washington Boulevard at Main Street. At 2:06, Dispatch told officers that two pedestrians were hit and the car evaded.
The victims, Giovanni Vega-Benis and Yuliana Arias-Lozano, were crossing Washington Boulevard at Main Street when police said they were struck and killed by a 2022 Mercedes AMG GT43 being driven by Talbot.
Police said the onboard computer from the Mercedes indicated that the vehicle had accelerated from 58 mph five seconds before the crash, to 86 mph just before the moment of impact. The posted speed limit in that area is 25 mph. The data indicates the brakes were not applied and the steering wheel was not moved to avoid the crash. It did show one of the front wheels was turned due to the impact.
Following the crash, the car was left in front of Washington Boulevard and the suspect, Talbot, fled on foot. A UConn police officer said he saw a man in a dark jacket run through a parking lot on Washington Boulevard and then hop a fence behind a house on Relay Place. Police detained Talbot who appeared to be under the influence. Police said the man's hands were covered in blood.
When Talbot was being patted down, the officer found a key fob in his pocket, which had a Mercedes-Benz logo on it. Talbot was placed in handcuffs
The officer said that while he was being placed in handcuffs he started crying saying "Please tell me I didn't kill anyone tonight." Talbot was then transported by Stamford EMS to be evaluated for his injuries.
The officer concluded that the key fob matched that of the car that was involved in the crash.
A Drug Recognition Expert was requested at the hospital where he observed Talbot to have thick, slow, slurred, and drawn out speech. He was slow to answer questions, appeared drowsy, relax, had red bloodshot eyes.
Police report states that during the evaluation, Talbot allegedly made statements that he drank alcohol on the night of Dec. 2 into Dec. 3, smoked marijuana and drove his car multiple spots with his friends.
Talbot allegedly told police he said he swore he hit something and asked questions about his car.
Talbot was taken into custody on January 4, 2023 by deputies of the Collier County Sherriff’s Office and was being held on an arrest warrant from Stamford. He was extradited on Jan. 13 from the Collier County Florida Detention Center and transported back to Stamford.
Talbot was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of manslaughter second degree with a motor vehicle, felony evading responsibility operating under the influence, reckless operation.
Talbot is being held on a $1,000,000 court set bond and will be arraigned in Stamford Superior Court Jan. 17.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
