Motorcycle death of officer draws 11 years
Family, friends, and police officers nearly filled a Vernon courtroom Thursday to witness the sentencing of the Ellington man in a motorcycle crash that resulted in the death of South Windsor police officer Benjamin Lovett.
Spencer Kraus, 26, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, followed by five years of probation, in connection with the June 2021 collision in Tolland.
Lovett, 25, was off-duty, riding his motorcycle with one passenger, when Kraus drove through a stop sign and struck them. Kraus was intoxicated, court documents show.
Lovett suffered fatal injuries, and his passenger, Jennifer Sokolik, was seriously injured.
Police were able to stop Kraus as he attempted to leave the scene.
Kraus pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, and evading responsibility, under an agreement that he would be sentenced to between 8 and 12 years in prison.
On Thursday Prosecutor Matthew Gedansky argued for Kraus to receive the maximum 12 years, as he was entirely responsible for what happened.
“He was impaired by alcohol and that is the only cause of this accident,” Gedansky said.
Several of Lovett’s family and friends and numerous members of the South Windsor Police Department bolstered Gedanksy’s arguments with statements about Lovett. They described him as positive, hard working, always smiling, a friend, and a confidante.
The victim’s advocate read a statement from a man who called Lovett his best and longest friend. He said Lovett would have been his best man at his wedding, and his future children would’ve had an “Uncle Ben” in their lives.
Gedanksy acknowledged that although Kraus was evasive immediately after the crash, he cooperated with the police investigation and has taken responsibility for his actions.
Judge Kathleen McNamara agreed that Kraus has changed since the deadly collision, and the person before her Thursday wasn’t the same. But he still had to face the consequences of his actions, she said before handing down her sentence.