Sherman Man Gets

Six Years For Hit And Run

By Andrew Gorosko

A judge has sentenced a Sherman man to six years in state prison, plus five years of probation after prison, for a May hit-and-run accident on Route 302. In the accident, the intoxicated driver ran over a woman jogger with a pickup truck, seriously injuring her, and then fled the scene without stopping.

On November 14 in Danbury Superior Court, Michael Williams, 32, a self-employed carpenter, entered pleas of “no contest” to two felonies –– evading responsibility with serious injury and second degree assault with a motor vehicle.

Judge Douglas Mintz then entered findings of “guilty” on the two charges before sentencing Mr Williams. The sentencing follows a plea agreement reached between Mr Williams and the state prosecutor, which was sanctioned by the judge.

Until his sentencing, Mr Williams had been free on $75,000 bail.

Following his sentencing, state judicial marshals handcuffed Mr Williams and led him out of a packed courtroom. Mr Williams was incarcerated this week in Bridgeport Correctional Center. He could have received a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

In endorsing the sentence that was recommended by the state, Judge Mintz told Mr Williams that he had had a recurring image while deliberating on the hit-and-run case.

“I keep coming back to the vision of [the jogger] lying on the road, [who was] concerned about whether she was going to live or die,” Judge Mintz said. The victim did not lose consciousness after the accident.

While driving his red 1995 Ford F-150 pickup truck during the evening rush at about 5 pm May 29, Mr Williams ran over and seriously injured Marianne Ryder, 44, of Dodgingtown on Route 302 (Sugar Street). Mr Williams then left the accident scene without stopping. Mrs Ryder, who is now recovering from multiple serious injuries, spent three weeks as a patient in Danbury Hospital after the accident.

Mrs Ryder was jogging eastward along the eastbound road shoulder of Route 302, about 2,000 feet east of Route 302’s intersection with Head O’ Meadow Road, when the eastbound pickup truck, which was traveling on the road shoulder, struck her from behind in a full-impact crash. Weather conditions were clear. The road was dry.

After the accident, Newtown police spent about four hours investigating at the accident scene, collecting about 30 pieces of physical evidence and interviewing several witnesses.

The following day, Newtown police executed a search-and-seizure warrant in Sherman, seizing Mr Williams’ pickup truck. The truck’s right front grill and hood areas were damaged.

State police later inspected the pickup truck for evidence of the accident. They scraped a “bloodlike stain” from a mechanical part on the truck’s undercarriage. “Several pieces of evidence recovered from the accident scene were ‘perfect matches’ to damage on the front grill of the red Ford pickup,” according to the police investigation.

On June 16, Mr Williams surrendered to police at the Newtown police station and was charged with evading responsibility with serious injury. The prosecutor added the charge of second degree assault with a motor vehicle in August. That charge pertains to intoxicated drivers.

In pronouncing the prison sentence, Judge Mintz said, “This is a sad day for everyone who’s involved in this case.” The victim has a “life sentence” of dealing with her injuries, the judge said.

“The court has to balance the scales of justice,” Judge Mintz said. The accident has had “devastating” effects on Mrs Ryder and her family, and also on Mr Williams and his family, the judge observed.

“You cannot get behind the wheel of a car when you’re drunk,” Judge Mintz told Mr Williams.

Mr Williams’ and a friend’s alcohol consumption on May 29 had included drinking beer and shots of liquor in a Monroe bar before the accident. The friend told police that Mr Williams was intoxicated before the accident.

Victim Speaks

Mrs Ryder, who walked carefully with a cane in court, attended Mr Williams’ November 14 sentencing with her husband.

Mrs Ryder, who has three children, runs a financial planning business with her husband out of their Dodgingtown home.

Before the sentencing, she read a statement to the court.

“[Williams] needs to understand the magnitude of the consequences of his action,” she said.

Mr Williams hit her with a truck, ran over her body, and then drove away, leaving her lying in the road and then went into hiding, Mrs Ryder said.

Because she received immediate medical attention, her life was saved, she said. An unidentified doctor, who was passing by, aided Mrs Ryder at the accident scene.

“Thankfully, I was not killed, but this should not be used to Michael Williams’ advantage,” Mrs Ryder said.

Within 24 hours of the accident, Mr Williams had hired a lawyer, she noted. Mr Williams is represented by New Milford attorney Murray Kessler.

“It did not occur to me that anyone could be so evil as to do what [Williams] did to me,” Mrs Ryder said. She thanked the witnesses who provided police with information about the accident.

In investigating the accident, police spoke to several witnesses.

One of those witnesses was a 71-year-old Newtown woman, who told police that she was driving eastward on Route 302 on May 29, and was traveling ahead of a red Ford pickup truck. The woman told police that the pickup truck was driving very closely behind her and that its horn was sounding. “She looked into her rear-view mirror and saw the red pickup truck and observed what she thought to be a person rolling in the roadway,” according to court papers.

The woman pulled over, let the truck pass her at high speed and then followed it, after which she was able to write down the truck’s marker plate number when it stopped at the intersection of Routes 302 and 25. The woman motorist then contacted police about the hit-and-run accident and provided a description of its driver.

In court on November 14, Mrs Ryder said that as she lay seriously injured on Route 302, she prayed that she would not die, that she would not be confined to a wheelchair, and that she would not suffer brain damage from the accident. Mrs Ryder said she still suffers pain from her injuries and faces the prospect of several more surgeries. Mrs Ryder’s injuries included a fractured right thigh, a dislocated right elbow, a broken right forearm, a broken left shoulder blade, two broken ribs, liver and kidney damage, plus multiple cuts and bruises.

Mrs Ryder said she has incurred approximately $130,000 in medical bills, excluding therapy.

“I feel that I have been robbed of so much by Mr Williams…My children have been devastated by this,” she said. Mrs Ryder said that her husband has experienced strains due to her family’s changed circumstances.

Much help has been forthcoming from the community, she noted. It is unclear when her life will return to normal, she said.

In his actions, Mr Williams was “cruel, irresponsible, and self-serving,” Mrs Ryder said.

It is important that Mr Williams gets rehabilitation for his alcohol problem, she said. Mr Williams’ serving time in prison will mean that there is at least one less drunken driver traveling on the roads, she said.

“Serious crimes require serious consequences,” she said. Such punishments act as deterrents, she added.

Prison time may be Mr Williams’ only chance for redemption, Mrs Ryder told the court.

 

For The Defendant

Several members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) spoke in court on behalf of Mr Williams, saying that they are encouraged by his recent participation in that sobriety program.

“He has made a most promising start in our program,” said “John,” who has been an AA member since 1978.

One AA member said there is no defense for what occurred, noting that it has been an agonizing situation for all those involved. The AA member added, however, that Mr Williams is seeking rehabilitation.

Robert Williams, who is Michael Williams’ father, said his son’s medical insurer has already paid Ms Ryder $50,000 in damages, adding that his son will reimburse her for other expenses incurred.

Robert Williams said his son is “not a danger to society.” Robert Williams added that his son will not benefit from spending six years in prison, nor will it benefit Mrs Ryder, or society at large. He asked Judge Mintz for a lesser sentence for his son.

Michael Williams’ mother spoke briefly and tearfully in court, expressing her hopes for Mrs Ryder’s recovery and her regrets over what occurred.

Mr Kessler urged the judge to impose a lesser sentence than six years in prison, suggesting some alternative form of punishment such as house arrest with a requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device.

Michael Williams read a formal apology to Mrs Ryder.

In it, he expressed sorrow and regret over what occurred. “I would do anything to change this unfortunate occurrence…I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said.

Mr Williams said he is working to improve himself. He said he hopes his apology helps to heal Mrs Ryder and her family.

Judge Mintz then imposed the sentence. How much of the six-year prison sentence Mr Williams actually serves will be determined by the state Department of Correction.

Also as part of his sentence, Mr Williams may not drive a motor vehicle until he has his driver’s license restored by the state. He must provide 100 hours of community service during each of the five years of his probation, following his prison sentence. He must receive substance abuse treatment. Mr Williams must attend AA meetings at least three times per week. He must provide a formal apology to Mrs Ryder. He cannot possess alcohol in a motor vehicle. He must complete a safe driving course. He must reimburse Mrs Ryder for medical expenses. He also must take a course to learn about the plight of victims.