Milford Woman Faces DUI Charges in Fatal West Haven I-95 Crash

 A tragic incident unfolded on Interstate 95 last year, resulting in the loss of a 21-year-old Georgia man's life. The accident occurred shortly after a state trooper briefly stopped near a disabled classic car parked on the highway and then circled back for a better position.

As the trooper was returning on the opposite side of the highway, a 48-year-old Milford woman, allegedly driving under the influence and displaying aggressive behavior while behind the wheel of a Honda Accord, collided with the disabled 1970 Plymouth Duster parked in the median. The collision caused a fire that fully engulfed the car, ultimately claiming the life of Luis Martinez from Loganville, Georgia.

The driver of the Honda, now identified as 50-year-old Amy Romano, is scheduled to appear at state Superior Court in Milford on September 27. She faces multiple charges, including second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, operating under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving, and failure to drive in the proper lane.

Amy Romano's attorney, Don Cretella, acknowledged the tragedy of the case and mentioned that their investigation is ongoing to determine precisely what happened. The crash took place on April 9, 2022, around 10:48 p.m. on I-95 northbound, just south of exit 42.

Following the collision, Romano's Honda overturned and slid onto its side, while the Duster was engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the fire, emergency responders discovered Martinez in the front passenger seat with severe injuries, and an autopsy revealed that he had "full thickness burns" covering 95 percent of his body.

Witnesses at the scene reported seeing Romano's Honda traveling at a high speed and exhibiting aggressive driving behavior prior to the collision.

The driver of the Duster, an 18-year-old from New York, explained that they had picked up Martinez from his home in Cranston, Rhode Island, with plans to attend car shows in Connecticut. While en route from one show in Bridgeport to another in New Haven, their car experienced acceleration issues, leading them to pull over. The trooper had stopped and informed them that he would position his cruiser behind their vehicle for safety.

According to Martinez's friend, moments after spotting Trooper Khariton approaching, their car was struck with great force, causing him to lose consciousness briefly. He managed to crawl away from the burning vehicle, having heard people urging him to do so.

Both the driver and Romano suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized. Paramedics allegedly discovered a lighter and stem pipe in Romano's clothing during treatment. Martinez was tragically declared dead at the scene, with an autopsy determining the cause of death to be blunt impact injuries to the head, torso, and right leg.

Romano informed the police that she had consumed pizza before work on that day and had one rum and coke around 8 p.m. She declined to provide further statements and referred the police to her attorney when they followed up weeks later.

Witnesses who observed Romano's vehicle driving aggressively were quoted in the affidavit. Police obtained a search warrant for her medical records, which allegedly indicated a blood alcohol content of 0.12, surpassing the legal limit of 0.08.

The affidavit concludes that Amy Romano was at fault for the collision due to reckless driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, resulting in the tragic death of Luis Martinez.

Romano has posted a $140,000 bond in the case and is subject to various conditions, including GPS monitoring, substance abuse and mental health evaluation and treatment, and a curfew from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. with zero tolerance, as per court records.