Man Sentenced In Danbury Fatal Wrong-Way Crash: Report

DANBURY, CT — A man was sentenced to 4 years in prison for causing a wrong-way fatal crash in Danbury, according to News 12 Connecticut.

Charles Connors, of Milford, was driving the wrong way on Route 7 in 2023 when he struck another car. Danielle Dempsey, 25, of Danbury, died in the accident.

Connors will also serve five years of probation following his prison term, according to News 12 Connecticut.

He was previously charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, reckless endangerment, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, operating under the influence, and speeding.

Troopers were called at 1:53 a.m. Sept. 10, 2023, reporting a head-on car accident on Route 7 south just north of the exit 7 ramp in Danbury.

Police arrived at the scene of the crash to find a black Dodge Challenger and a gray Honda Accord. The Accord's driver, Dempsey, was unresponsive.

Dempsey was taken to Danbury Hospital where she died due to her injuries.

The Challenger's driver, later identified as Connors, was conscious but trapped in the car. He was extricated and taken to Danbury Hospital with serious injuries.

Police investigated and spoke with a witness who identified the wrong-way car as the Dodge Challenger. The witness said they were driving on Route 7 south when they saw the Dodge driving the wrong way, according to police. The witness swerved to the right toward the guardrail to avoid hitting the Dodge.

The witness then made a U-turn and began traveling on Route 7 north to see where the Dodge had gone. The witness saw that the Dodge had hit another vehicle and called 911 to report the crash.

Police met with Connors at the hospital. They detected alcohol on his breath and found his speech was delayed and slurred. Connors "made several comments about drinking and driving without being asked" and "continuously explained that he did not recall anything prior to the collision," police said.

A second witness told police that Connors had posted photos and videos on Instagram Stories depicting himself at multiple bars drinking what appeared to be alcohol. Police followed up at a bar in Norwalk where they found a receipt showing that Connors had ordered 11 alcoholic drinks.

Police also took blood samples from Connors at Danbury Hospital. Tests showed that his blood alcohol content was 0.197, more than double the legal limit of .08, according to police.

The investigation found that Connors was driving 56 mph when he struck Dempsey's car.