East Hartford man charged in fatal Route 2 crash

Accused of DUI in incident that killed Massachusetts woman

An East Hartford man is facing second-degree manslaughter and DUI charges in connection with a fatal crash on Route 2 last year, police said.

Ricardo Figueroa, 24, turned himself into Connecticut State Police Troop H in Hartford on Thursday afternoon and was charged in connection with a two-vehicle crash that killed 21-year-old Alanys Roche-Suarez of Chicopee, Massachusetts, in March 2022, according to Connecticut State Police.

About 1:53 a.m. on March 13, 2022, state police were notified of a crash between a Hyundai Santa Fe and a Toyota Corolla on I-84 West adjacent to the Route 2 westbound on-ramp in East Hartford, police said.

Three people were found inside the Corolla, which was being driven by Roche-Suarez, who was rushed to Hartford Hospital and later died from blunt force trauma of the head, neck and torso. Her death was ruled accidental and related to the motor vehicle collision, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The 24-year-old front-seat passenger in the front seat suffered minor injuries. Another 26-yearold passenger was taken to Hartford Hospital with suspected serious injuries, state police said.

Figueroa was reportedly found alone in the Santa Fe. He allegedly told troopers he was a passenger in the vehicle and that a woman whose name he didn’t know had been driving and left the scene, state police said.

Figueroa, who was bleeding from a large cut to his face, allegedly claimed that he did not know what happened and did not know the identity of the female driver, according to state police.

Investigators allegedly smelled alcohol and conducted a sobriety test, which “suggested that Figueroa may be under the influence.” He was taken to Saint Francis Hospital for medical treatment, state police said.

The state police’s accident reconstruction unit responded to the scene and investigators spoke with witnesses who allegedly told police they saw the Santa Fe strike the Corolla and saw a man wearing a gray hoodie and hat standing beside the Santa Fe, which had overturned and was on its roof in the left travel lane, state police said.

Investigators analyzed data from the Santa Fe and determined it had been allegedly traveling at speeds of over 100 mph prior to the collision, state police said.

Detectives later examined evidence from the Santa Fe and medical records from Figueroa’s hospital visit. Toxicology reports allegedly indicated that he was under the influence after the accident, while evidence from the vehicle reportedly showed that he was driving at the time of the crash, state police said.

A warrant for Figueroa’s arrest was granted on Feb. 8, 2023. He is charged with second-degree manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, assault in the second degree with a motor vehicle, reckless endangerment in the first degree, assault in the third degree and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, state police said.

Figueroa was released on a $125,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in court in Manchester on March 6, state police said.