Connecticut
Warrant details moments leading up to deadly Labor Day boat crash in Old Saybrook
A newly released arrest warrant details what led up to a Labor Day boat crash in Old Saybrook that left three people dead on Sept. 2.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Environmental Conservation Police arrested Clayton Hackling, 26, of Lyme, on Wednesday.
The crash happened at the mouth of the Connecticut River in Old Saybrook on Sept. 2.
Nine people were on the boat when it crashed in the area of the break wall at the mouth of the Connecticut River, according to DEEP. Six people were rescued from the water.
Christopher Hallahan, 34, of Westbrook, Ian Duchemin, 25, of Oakdale, and Ryan Britagna, 24, of Waterford were killed in the crash.
DEEP said Hackling was driving the boat.
A woman on the boat sent a Snapchat to a friend minutes before the crash, saying “I feel unsafe,” the warrant reads.
Hackling allegedly started drinking alcohol at a restaurant in Block Island around 1:30 p.m. on the day of the crash. He later insisted on driving the boat by pushing another man out of the way and “becoming loud,” the warrant says.
Authorities said there was discussion about the boat’s GPS not working, so it was turned off and Hackling kept on driving, eventually hitting the break wall, according to the warrant. They were speeding at the time of the crash, going about 50 mph while traveling toward the mouth of the Connecticut River.
The area where the crash happened was a “no-wake” zone, meaning boats aren’t supposed to travel at speeds greater than six miles per hour, according to authorities.
A toxicology report revealed that Hackling had a blood alcohol content of .19%, which is above the legal limit.
Investigators conducted a digital forensics examination of the boat’s GPS data and determined that it was “functioning properly before, during and after the time of the collision,” according to the warrant. Authorities also learned that Hackling was trying to enter the Connecticut River outside of the designated area.
The warrant goes on to say that Hackling reported suffering from an “unknown chest issue,” which was later determined to be consistent with blunt force trauma. He was admitted to the hospital with visible head trauma, pelvis bruising, a collapsed lung, injuries to the bladder dome and small intestine, as well as an orbital fracture and cuts to the left eye and scalp, according to the warrant.
“The location of Clayton Hackling’s injuries is consistent with an impact to the vessel steering wheel and previously mentioned stabilizer bar,” the warrant reads.
A warrant was issued on Tuesday and Hackling turned himself in at Troop F on Wednesday.
He was charged with three counts of manslaughter in the second degree with a vessel, three counts of reckless operation of a vessel in the first degree while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, three counts of reckless operation of a vessel in the second degree, operation of a vessel while under the influence of liquor or drugs, required and authorized lights and rules for preventing collisions.
The second-year Golden State Valkyries keep clearing hurdles that have never been scaled in the history of the WNBA.
They did it again Friday night.
Across the country from Ballhalla, against an opponent with the league’s worst record, the Valkyries became the fastest WNBA expansion franchise to 40 victories.
They needed just 68 games over two seasons to hit the mark.
That was among the bullet points in their 79-64 victory over the Connecticut Sun, an outcome that extended Golden State’s franchise-record win streak to seven games, including the first four in a five-city trip that concludes Wednesday at Indiana.
The Valkyries overcame a rough start on a night in which their All-Star forward, Gabby Williams, was ruled out before tip-off because of a back injury that sidelined her in the fourth quarter of the team’s win in Toronto on Wednesday.
Connecticut, which fell to 5-18, stormed to a 9-2 lead in the opening minutes and maintained an advantage into the second quarter even though its leading scorer on the season, center Brittney Griner, missed her second consecutive game because of a quad strain.
But the Valkyries’ highly touted defense eventually put a grip on the home team, and Golden State grabbed its first lead, 24-23, when Kaila Charles drove for a layup.
The visitors led 30-25 at halftime.
Connecticut kept the margin within single digits for nearly all of the third quarter, but Veronica Burton closed the period with an up-and-under layup as time expired to give Golden State a 54-44 cushion heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Valkyries put the score out of reach when Charles and Burton made back-to-back 3-pointers to widen the lead to 60-44 with 7:19 to play.
Burton had a superb game against her former team, finishing with 17 points, six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The Valkyries are undefeated this season when the point guard has at least six assists.
Golden State’s bench contributed 42 points, seven more than its league-high season average. Janelle Salaun led the reserves with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Laeticia Amihere added six points, five rebounds, three blocks and three assists. The Valkyries also got nine points from Tiffany Hayes and eight from Kaitlyn Chen.
Williams, meanwhile, gave the team a boost from the bench.
“Gabby is still going to contribute, and she still helped us,” Burton said. “She was one of the loudest people throughout the entire game. With that … it’s a next-man-up mentality. There is not necessarily any drop-off. We find different ways to win, and we just rely on every single person on this team.”
With the win, Golden State is the first to 17 victories this season, as the result on Friday improved its record to 17-7, tying the Valkyries with Las Vegas and Minnesota (both 16-6) for the league’s top mark.
How has Golden State done it?
It starts with “high-character” players the front office brought in, coach Natalie Nakase said, noting that everyone has accepted their roles, some more challenging than others.
“The best thing about our team is we have a selfless team that understands matchups,” Nakase said. “Having a deep bench was intentional. But it also comes with the humility that each player has to have that sometimes they can start, sometimes they’ll have a night, sometimes they might not start, sometimes they might not have a night.
“This is a very special group. I am not going to take this group for granted at all because they have meshed a lot better together than I anticipated.”
But even with far more highs than lows, the Valkyries are not a finished product in the eyes of their coach. Nakase noted the team’s slow starts in its previous two games, against Washington and Toronto, and stressed stronger consistency.
The Valkyries had another rough start on Friday.
Afterward, Nakase pointed to fatigue caused by an extended period on the road.
“We lost our vocalness in the first quarter, so I wasn’t really happy with that,” she said. “When you’re tired, the first thing that goes is the mind and they stop talking. We found pockets tonight of when we were very, very connected. But I need to see some rest. They deserve it. Four games in seven days and the emptying-the-tank mentality, I saw a lot of consistency there. But this game was really tough. Credit to Connecticut.”
A woman was arrested and charged with murdering a man whose body was found behind a condominium complex in Farmington in March, police said on Friday.
Cynthia Martinez, 27, was charged with murder, unlawful discharge of a firearm, tampering with evidence, and criminal use of a firearm in connection with the death of 29-year-old Derick William Mercado-Labonte of Bridgeport.
On March 19, officers responded to Talcott Forest Road around 10 a.m. for the report of an untimely death.
They found the body of Mercado-Labonte along the wood line behind a condominium complex. He appeared to have sustained multiple areas of trauma, according to police.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Mercado-Labonte’s death a homicide.
Martinez is being held on a $3,000,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Torrington Superior Court on Friday.
Police said no further information will be released at this time, as this remains an active and ongoing investigation.
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