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Eric LeBlanc, 25, was taken into custody on Wednesday, Feb. 26, following a crash on River Road in Lisbon, where officers found him with fentanyl and a loaded 9mm handgun, Connecticut State Police said.
Earlier Report: CT Man Accused in Deadly Crash Where Newborn Later Died Arrested After Another Wreck
Troopers who responded to the crash said LeBlanc appeared intoxicated, noting his "pinpoint pupils and slow speech." During a search, officers found three baggies of a white, powdery substance in his car. He admitted it was fentanyl and told police he had snorted some shortly before the crash, according to the report.
LeBlanc had been on law enforcement’s radar for more than a year after a February 2024 crash on Route 12 in Killingly. Police say he was speeding when he rear-ended a woman who was 30 weeks pregnant, sending her car into a tree. The crash led to an emergency C-section, but the newborn, named Luca, died days later from injuries sustained in the wreck.
After a yearlong investigation, LeBlanc was charged with first-degree assault with extreme indifference to human life, reckless endangerment, and multiple motor vehicle violations. He was released on a $375,000 bond.
Then, this week, police said LeBlanc was behind the wheel again—this time in a rear-end crash in Lisbon.
A records check showed an active warrant for his arrest. When police searched him, they discovered a loaded handgun in his waistband. LeBlanc claimed he had a valid permit, but officers searching his wallet allegedly found three baggies of fentanyl, authorities said.
After failing a field sobriety test, he was arrested and charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, possession of a controlled substance, and illegally carrying a firearm while under the influence, State Police said.
LeBlanc was released on a $10,000 bond, authorities said.
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