Driver Admits Guilt in Trooper’s Death, Gets 18 Years

In New Britain, Connecticut, a driver who fled the scene after fatally striking a state trooper has pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge, agreeing to an 18-year prison sentence despite objections from the trooper’s widow.

Alex Oyola-Sanchez, 45, entered his plea during a court session and will face sentencing on April 29. Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, who had served in the force for nine years, was on a traffic enforcement assignment on May 30 when the incident occurred. While he was addressing a driver on Interstate 84 regarding a seat belt violation in Southington, a pickup truck veered onto the shoulder, hitting Pelletier’s cruiser, the trooper, and the stopped vehicle before fleeing the scene.

Police arrested Oyola-Sanchez several towns away on the same highway. He faced charges of manslaughter, driving under the influence, and other offenses. Trooper Pelletier’s widow, Dominique, voiced her disapproval of the plea arrangement, advocating instead for a 30-year sentence for Oyola-Sanchez.

“Is there a chance he will be released only to harm another and inflict more suffering?” she questioned. “Will I need to confront these painful memories again during his parole hearings? He showed no remorse for his actions, choosing to flee, leaving my husband lifeless on the road.”

Aaron Pelletier hailed from Southington and was the 26th Connecticut state trooper to die in the line of duty since the agency’s founding in 1903. At the time of the incident, Pelletier’s police dog, Roso, was in his cruiser but was not seriously injured. He is survived by his wife and their two young sons.

A bail commissioner had previously noted that Oyola-Sanchez had prior convictions in Puerto Rico for third-degree murder and attempted homicide charges.