Man pleads not guilty to manslaughter charges in crash
Massey was arrested in July on manslaughter and other charges in connection with the crash that killed William Catugno, 62, at the corner of Westport Avenue and Dry Hill Road on Dec. 26, 2021.
STAMFORD — A 22year-old Norwalk man has pleaded not guilty to a host of charges stemming from a fatal crash that occurred in front of Stew Leonard’s the night after Christmas in 2021.
Peter Massey, 22, entered the not guilty pleas during a pretrial hearing at the state Superior Court in Stamford Wednesday afternoon.
Massey was arrested in July on manslaughter and other charges in connection with the crash that killed William Catugno, 62, at the corner of Westport Avenue and Dry Hill Road on Dec. 26, 2021.
According to his arrest warrant, Massey’s medical records revealed he had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit and had traces of drugs in his system when he got behind the wheel of a 1998 Honda Accord. Three passengers, two of whom were 17 years old, were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, the warrant stated.
Massey faces charges of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, two counts of operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs with a passenger under 18 years old, reckless operation, failure to yield while turning left, failure to wear a seat belt and two counts for failure of passengers under the age of 18 to wear a seat belt.
Police said they found Catugno’s 1993 Chevrolet/ Geo Prizm on Westport Avenue with extensive damage on its left side around 10:15 p.m. Dec. 26, 2021. About 80 feet away, Massey’s Honda was in a plant bed in front of Stew Leonard’s, also with extensive damage on its left front side, according to the arrest warrant.
Catugno was inside the car and unresponsive; Massey and his three passengers had gotten out of their car before police arrived, according to the warrant.
All five people were taken to Norwalk Hospital for medical attention. Catugno was pronounced dead shortly before midnight, the warrant said.
Massey told police he was attempting to make a left turn at a blinking yellow light when the crash occurred, the warrant stated. At the time of the crash, traffic on Westport Avenue had a flashing yellow light while cars leaving Stew Leonard’s and traveling on Dry Hill Road had a flashing red light, the warrant stated.
While at the hospital, Massey told police he and his passengers were out for a “little ride” the warrant stated. Police noticed during the interview that Massey’s eyes were “noticeably bloodshot and glassy,” the warrant stated. His pupils were also dilated and “his speech sounded thick and slurred,” police noted in the warrant.
Massey admitted to drinking at a home on Chatham Drive when he decided to go for a ride, the warrant stated.
A toxicology analysis of a blood sample taken hours after the crash showed Massey with a 0 percent blood alcohol content but did show positive results for THC, amphetamine and methamphetamine, the warrant stated.
A witness told police that she saw the two cars collide and then two people jump out of the Honda, the warrant stated. Two other people who were in the Honda were on the ground, according to the warrant.
The Honda, apparently empty at that point, continued toward Stew Leonard’s apparently driverless, the witness told police, according to the warrant. She called 911.
Massey’s account of the incident was similar. He told police at the hospital “he was trying to hold the brakes” and was having difficulty recalling the events. Massey said everyone got out of the vehicle “and the vehicle just took off,” according to the warrant.
Police looked at Massey’s car after the crash and noted it needed repairs to its brake pads and tires, the warrant said.
An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined Catugno died of blunt force trauma to his torso and left extremities.
Massey is free after posting a $75,000 bond.