Drunk Driver Charged in Fatal Crash

0:00It's March 24th. This is Hartford News today, your AI-powered local news. Stay police in Connecticut have arrested 42-year-old Byron Kumar Arvin by Patel, of Griswold, for his role in a deadly head-on crash last. September, the collision on Preston Road killed 21-year-old Alexis Ann Newcombe, a mother of young twin boys, on her birthday. Tests later showed Patel's blood alcohol level at 0.30, nearly four times the legal limit of 0.08. The crash happened shortly before 3pm, on September 28, 2025. Patel was driving a Tesla Southbound when he veered across the double yellow mines into oncoming traffic, striking another Tesla head-on. He faced initial charges of driving under the influence and failing to stay in his lane right after the wreck. Newcombe, a frenzy passenger in the Northbound vehicle, suffered fatal blood-force injuries to her torso. He was rushed to a hospital, but did not survive. Her husband was behind the wheel, and both he and Patel had minor injuries at first.

1:05Investigators dug deeper with a warrant for Patel's hospital blood records and seized video from both Teslas. Footage captured his car swerving onto the shoulder, before crossing the center line, backed by a witness account. Officials blamed the crash on his lane departure and impairment. Patel now faces upgraded charges by a second-degree manslaughter and reckless driving. He pulls the $500,000 bond and heads to Norwich Superior Court on March 31st, as the case moves forward.