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New Haven County resident William Kundert, age 42, of Oxford, was arrested and charged with multiple felonies in the Feb. 4 crash in Beacon Falls, Connecticut State Police said.
Riquelme Alves Brito, 3, Laura Alves Brito, 6, and their mother Andreas De Brito-Alves, age 26, of Bridgeport, were killed in the crash, police said.
New Haven County resident Thiago Pereira-Neves, age 34, of Waterbury, was seriously injured in the incident.
Investigators said Kundert was behind the wheel of a Ford F-600 truck on Route 8 northbound that slammed into the back of a Honda Civic around 3:30 p.m.
Officers at the scene said Kundert slurred his words and struggled to stand up. Paramedics took him to Saint Mary's Hospital in Waterbury, where he was confused, aggressive, and agitated, a police report said. Doctors had to strap him to his hospital bed.
Later, he told investigators he had no memory of the crash.
Drug tests found benzodiazepines and opiates in his system at the time of the wreck, authorities continued.
Witnesses told police they'd seen Kundert's F-600 speeding, driving erratically, and swerving before the crash. The truck repeatedly went over the lines on the highway and drove over a rumble strip for more than a minute before regaining control, authorities said.
Kundert is charged with:
- Manslaughter (three counts)
- Assault with a motor vehicle
- Operation of a motor vehicle under the influence
- Reckless driving
- Failure to wear a seat belt
A judge ordered Kundert held on a $1 million bond, court records show.
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