Mansfield Man Charged In Connection With Fiery Fatal Crash In Ellington

ELLINGTON, CT — A Mansfield man who was driving a car that burst into flames and left a passenger dead after hitting a tree in Ellington last month has been charged.

State police Thursday said that Sergei Moscardelli, 21, of Mansfield, surrendered at the Troop C barracks. A warrant has charged him with second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, driving under the influence, traveling unreasonably fast and failure to maintain the proper lane.

He posted a $50,000 bond and is slated to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Dec. 23.

According to a warrant, the crash took place at 7:55 p.m. on Nov. 25. That night, according to a warrant, Moscardelli was driving a Kia Sorrento westbound on Sandy Beach Road, which is state Route 140. As he approached the Buff Cap Road intersection, he lost control of the Kia, which spun, hit a 15-inch diameter tree, bounced into another tree and burst into flames.

Moscardelli and a passenger were able to escape the vehicle with the help of bystanders, but a rear-seat passenger, identified as James Moran, was trapped and died in the crash, according to a warrant.

Moscardelli was "combative" with an EMS crew before he and the front seat passenger were taken to Hartford Hospital, a warrant states. The passenger =sustained multiple injuries, according to a warrant.

Hospital tests showed Moscardelli had a blood alcohol level of .08, over the legal limit in Connecticut.

The warrant also makes reference to Moscardelli saying to a passenger, "I'm a little (expletive) up right now" before driving.