An 83-year-old driver who reportedly ran away after hitting a pedestrian last year has been taken into custody, according to West Hartford police. Later, the pedestrian passed away from their wounds.
On Tuesday, Sue Deffenbaugh, 83, was taken into custody with a warrant. She was accused of failing to exercise reasonable care near a vulnerable user on a public route and avoiding accountability, which led to death.
The allegations are related to an accident that happened on November 8 near the junction of St. James Street and Oakwood Avenue.
According to the police, an elderly woman was struck by a car while she was crossing near an uncontrolled crosswalk. They think she was hit by another car after the collision.
While the driver of the first car stayed on the scene and assisted the police, the driver of the second vehicle ran away. According to the police, Deffenbaugh was the driver in question.
After suffering severe injuries, the pedestrian passed away at a nearby hospital. Her name was Patricia Brulotte, and she had worked for 20 years as a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.
Coworkers characterized “Patty” at the time of her death as soft-spoken and industrious, and they stated she never spoke negatively about anyone.
As part of its Vision Zero campaign, the municipality had been working to prevent fatalities and serious injuries on the roadways when this death occurred. Town engineers were already concerned about the crossroads where the collision happened.
A $400,000 court-set bail and a requirement that she not drive a car were part of Deffenbaugh’s warrant.
On April 24, she is expected to appear in Hartford Superior Court after being released from detention.
