Man 'had his foot to the floor' when he plowed into woman, 4-year-old on their way to sign a lease for a new apartment

A Connecticut antheral who rammed into a conveyance carrying a young family, sidesplitting 2 people, volition walk much than a decennary down bars.

Solomon Valentine, 42, pleaded nary contention successful February to 2 charges of first-degree manslaughter and 1 number each of second-degree battle and reckless driving. On Tuesday, helium was sentenced to 11 1/2 years successful prison arsenic punishment for causing the March 2023 car crash that killed 24-year-old Chelsy Torres and her 4-year-old nephew Noah Rodriguez.

According to section quality outlet CTpost, Torres was successful the conveyance with her sister Ashley Aquino, besides Noah's mother, and Noah's younger member Noel, who was 2 years aged astatine the time. The 2 sisters were connected their mode to motion a lease for a caller flat wherever they were readying to rise their children together.

Prosecutors said Valentine was driving 74 miles per hr close earlier slamming into the conveyance carrying Torres, Aquino, and Aquino's sons connected the day of March 6, 2023. The conveyance with the young household wrong was stopped astatine a reddish airy successful Bridgeport, Connecticut, and prosecutors said Valentine "had his ft to the level arsenic if it was his ain idiosyncratic racetrack, not slowing down oregon stopping for anybody."

Torres was pronounced dormant astatine the scene. Noah was airlifted to the infirmary and died days later. Aquino and Noel were besides injured. Aquino told News 12 New Jersey, "He decidedly is simply a occurrence child. I was frightened that I was going to suffer some my kids, and helium proved maine wrong."

Aquino told CTPost aft the sentencing, "Having to explicate to a 5-year-old that the urn successful our surviving country is his brother is precise traumatic. Memories are each that I have. I mislaid the 2 astir important radical successful my life."

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Torres' different sister, Destiny Agramonte, started a GoFundMe for the babe miss Torres near behind, writing, "That miss is portion of her and she's what we person left."

Valentine was besides injured successful the clang and was brought to a adjacent hospital, wherever helium near against aesculapian advice. While helium was there, his humor tested affirmative for PCP and cannabis. He was arrested 8 months aft the fatal crash. He work a connection successful tribunal successful which helium apologized to the household of the loved ones helium killed.