Police say an Ellington man admits to texting-and-driving in the moments before his vehicle fatally struck a 14-year-old Enfield girl.
Before Sunday afternoon's crash in East Windsor, driver Jesse Pincince, 37, was the subject of several 9-1-1 calls from other drivers on I-91. Police say "numerous" callers reported Pincince for erratic driving.
Another caller later reported that Pincince ran a red light on Rte. 140/Bridge St. moments before striking the victim, who was walking with a younger cousin.
A police report on the incident says, "During a subsequent interview, the operator (Pincince) revealed he had been sending and receiving text messages while driving and had not seen the pedestrian walking on the side of the road."
"You don't get to take that back," says East Windsor police Lt. Matthew Carl. "There can be no conversation as important as watching the road."
The victim was a freshman at Enfield High School, where grief counselors were on hand Monday morning. Her identity had not been released as of Monday night.
At a court hearing in Hartford, Pincince was ordered held on $200,000 bail. He faces charges including negligent homicide with a motor vehicle and second degree manslaughter.