Montville man charged with manslaughter in ATV crash
Montville — State police arrested Cecil Grimes, 29, of 208 Connecticut Blvd., on Thursday on manslaughter and other charges after an ATV crash in the summer resulted in the death of an unprotected passenger.
On June 18 at 1:24 a.m., Montville and state police were dispatched to the area of Derry Hill and Massapeag roads to investigate a report of an ATV crash. Upon arrival, police found a single-rider ATV with Grimes, the operator, and a female passenger, identified as Ashley Bizzell, 32, of Boston, Mass.
Through their investigation, police said they determined that Grimes was traveling east with Bizzell on Derry Hill Road and failed to negotiate the right-hand curve in the roadway, resulting in Grimes losing control of his ATV. The ATV struck a utility pole guide wire, which stopped the ATV and threw off Grimes and Bizzell.
Bizzell was not using a helmet and struck a tree next to the utility pole, suffering fatal injuries. She was transported to Backus Hospital in Norwich, where she was pronounced dead.
Police said the ATV had multiple warning labels prominently displayed, warning against the use of the ATV on the highway and with passengers. There was no seat for a passenger nor was there any safety equipment for a passenger. Police determined that the reckless disregard for the blatant warning labels affixed to the machine caused it to be operated in a manner beyond its capabilities.
As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was obtained for Grimes. After his arrest Thursday, he posted a $100,000 surety bond and was assigned a court date of Jan. 6, 2022.
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