EAST WINDSOR, Conn. — Two days after a 14-year-old pedestrian was killed by an alleged distracted driver, police have identified the victim as Jaylene Gonzalez.
Tuesday morning, as counselors were still tending to grieve students' needs at Enfield High School, where Jaylene Gonzalez was a freshman, the owner of the Valero gas station near the East Windsor crash scene was still in shock.
"I heard the sirens from the fire department and the police," said Bilal Ali.
Another employee witnessed the deadly incident, moments after the 14-year-old victim and her 12-year-old cousin were customers.
"Those two girls you know they were inside the store before they bought the candy and a couple of drinks, I believe so," Ali said.
Moments after multiple 911 callers reported a black pick up driving erratically along I-91 north, before exiting in East Windsor, the deadly crash occurred.
The driver, 37-year-old Jesse Pincince, of Ellington, allegedly admitted to police he had been texting with his wife, with whom he had been arguing, and never saw the two girls walking along the shoulder of North Rd. (Rt. 140).
"I couldn’t believe they were just here you know like I couldn’t believe my eyes," Ali said.
According to the police report, Pincince said he is legally blind in his right eye and had not been wearing his prescribed glasses at the time of the crash.
Police said surveillance cameras from Valero and an auction house across the street captured the deadly crash.
"I was really disturbed and I still am," Ali said of watching the surveillance footage.
A GoFundMe page, set up by Jaylene Gonzalez's older sister to defray funeral costs, had raised nearly $38,000 by late Tuesday afternoon.
Pincince remained in jail as of Tuesday. His bond was set at $200,000. He is due back in court on April 12.
Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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