Crime

Mass. man facing manslaughter charges after 100+ mph car crash turns himself in

Dominic Grassetti was involved in a November 2021 collision that killed a Chicopee man.

Dominic Grassetti Photo courtesy Connecticut State Police

October 6, 2022

A 25-year-old man who police say collided with another car last November while he was driving at more than 100 mph, ultimately killing another man, turned himself in Monday. He is charged with one count of second degree manslaughter.

According to records posted online by the Connecticut State Police, 25-year-old Dominic Grassetti of Southwick was involved in a Nov. 12, 2021, car crash that killed Fernando Lebron of Chicopee, Massachusetts.

The collision took place early in the morning on northbound Interstate 91 in Enfield, Connecticut, roughly two miles away from the Massachusetts state line.

A collision analysis and reconstruction performed by police indicated that the front end of Grassetti’s Hyundai Sonata collided with the back end of Lebron’s Scion xA. Police documents say Grassetti was driving above the speed limit at a “reckless speed” of approximately 109.19 to 118.25 mph.

Grassetti was uninjured in the crash, and refused medical treatment, according to the accident information summary.

In an affidavit included in the arrest warrant, Connecticut State Trooper Michael Dean, who first responded to the crash, said Grassetti was struggling to keep his balance and using a nearby guardrail for support.

“While speaking to the accused, I observed that his eyes were glassy and red,” Dean wrote. “A smell of an alcoholic beverage emanated from his breath.”

Grassetti was given a field sobriety test, the arrest warrant said, and police determined he was impared.

A search of his vehicle revealed five empty 50 ml Smirnoff vodka bottles, one empty Truly Extra can, and one plastic bag of pills, which Grasseti explained as being his Adderall pills.

Grasseti was initially charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor, but manslaughter charges were added after a subsequent investigation, police said.