Man Rejects Plea Deal in Fatal Drunk Boating Crash

0:00It's May 1st. This is Hartford News Today, driven by AI. A 27-year-old man from Lyme, named Clayton Hackling, just turned down a plea deal in New London Superior Court for a deadly drunk boating. Crash, last Labor Day, he's facing three counts of manslaughter with a boat after the incident in Old Saybrook that killed three people. The case is now headed to trial, though no dates set yet. The rejected deal would have meant a 30-year sentence, suspended after 15 years served, plus five years probation. His lawyer could have pushed for less time inside. Hackling also faces nine other charges, like reckless boating under the influence and failing safety rules on the water. The crash happened September 2nd, 2024, at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Nine folks were on the boat when it slammed into a jetty. One died right there, six got rushed to hospitals, and two were missing until their bodies. Turned up days later, the victims were Christopher Hallahan, 34, from Westbrook, and Dusheman, 25, from Oakdale, and Ryan Britannia, 24, from Waterford.

1:05On top of that, Hackling has a prior driving under the influence charge from earlier in the year. He's out free on a $350,000 bond, while this all plays out. Folks are watching close as the trial gets lined up, with families still grieving in the full story waiting to unfold in court.