Montville

RI man suspected in crash that killed teen and his mom in CT was drinking at casino: police

connecticut state police vehicle
NBC Connecticut

State police have arrested a man who is accused of causing the crash that killed a mother and her teenage son who had stopped to help another driver on Interstate 395 in Montville last September.

The arrest warrant for 29-year-old Derion Coker, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island,  said he had been drinking at a casino before the crash and sent a text to someone saying he was “lit.”

State police have arrested Coker in connection with the crash on Sept. 16 that killed 17-year-old Tyshon Ozzie Harper and 33-year-old Jamie Krajewski, both of Norwich.

Coker has been charged with operating under the influence and two counts of manslaughter in the second degree with a motor vehicle.

Krajewski and Harper, who was a senior at Norwich Free Academy, were standing outside of their vehicle when they were struck just before 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, according to state police.

Krajewski has worked at Elmbrook Village, as an activity coordinator, according to the obituary for them.

It appears from the arrest warrant application that the mother and son had stopped to help another driver whose vehicle was disabled. Their Buick Enclave was parked in front of a Lexus and jumper cables were out.

State police said Coker was driving a Volkswagen Passat, crossed over the white fog line into the right shoulder and hit the Lexus and the Buick that Harper and Krajewski were standing near.

Harper and Krajewski both died at the scene.

Coker told police that he had seen two people on the side of the road and then someone stepped out, but he could not react fast enough, according to the arrest warrant.

Police noted that Coker did not appear to be slurring his words after the crash and investigators did not detect an odor of alcohol.

As police investigated, they learned that Coker had gone to a comedy show at Mohegan Sun and  had three drinks of hard alcohol, two light beers and a sip from another between 7:04 p.m. and 10:18 p.m., according to the arrest warrant.

But, Coker told them he had two beers, the arrest warrant says. Police also found text messages, including one that said he was “lit.”

The arrest warrant details the text messages.

One Coker sent at 10:40 p.m. said, “Im in ct rn just left a lil comedy show im lit rn … im boutta have to focus super hard to get home.”

Then at 11:28 p.m. he sent another that said, “I love her and I’m so sorry these people got in the middle of the street I didn’t mean to do it.”

The arrest warrant also documents what police saw on surveillance footage from Mohegan Sun, which includes video of drinks Coker had at the casino.

Police said they didn’t see video of Coker consuming food and he went to the wrong garage at 10:51 p.m. and got to his own vehicle at 11 p.m.

Video also showed Coker’s Volkswagen drifting and moving in a jerking motion before he left the garage, according to the arrest warrant application.

When police searched his car days after the crash, they found rolling papers and “roaches of marijuana blunts” and the analysis on them was sent to the lab for testing, according to the arrest warrant application. The results are pending.

Bond for Coker was set at $200,000.

He was arrested on Friday and he is due in court in Norwich on June 13.

Contact Us