CHESHIRE, Conn — A Waterbury man has been arrested for his role in a high-speed multivehicle crash in Cheshire in November 2022 that killed his passenger.
The arrest warrant states Walter Spencer, 64, was driving on Highland Ave. in Cheshire, speeding as fast as 100 MPH, which caused a fatal five-vehicle crash on the evening of Nov. 19, 2022.
Arthur Wright, 64, of Cheshire, the passenger in the Lexus Spencer was driving, was killed in the crash. The drivers and passengers of the other vehicles involved either declined medical treatment or were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Surveillance footage and an interview with Spencer indicate that he and Wright went to the liquor store, investigators said. Wright went into the store, grabbed a bottle of liquor and put it in his jacket, the arrest warrant states. Wright later gives the liquor bottle back to the store employee after they confronted Wright about the bottle and started calling 911.
Spencer drove out of the parking lot, leaving Wright behind. He then came back to pick him up.
"I then drove away because I didn't want to be involved. Arthur called me a few minutes later and told me to pick him up," Spencer told investigators.
Police noticed the Lexus as they were alerted of the report of a burglary and tried to conduct a traffic stop. The Lexus did not stop and sped on the northbound side of Highland Ave.
"I immediately thought someone was going to die because of how fast It was going," a witness of the crash told investigators.
In an attempt to pass some vehicles, the Lexus crossed onto the southbound side, where the back left of the car swiped the left side of a southbound Volkswagen Jetta. The Lexus went back into the northbound side and sideswiped a Jeep Commander. The Lexus spun out and hit a Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Lexus then hit the back of a Ford Transit van.
Using surveillance footage and event data downloaded from some of the vehicles involved, including the Lexus, investigators determined that the Lexus was going between 95 and 100 MPH while traveling on Highland Ave. The Lexus was going around 82 MPH just seconds before colliding with the Volkswagen.
Spencer was arrested Wednesday morning and received multiple evasion charges, and was also charged with manslaughter, interfering with an officer, and conspiracy to commit larceny. He was held on a $250,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
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