SOMERS, CT — A West Haven man has been charged in connection with a deadly crash in Somers after turning himself in on an active warrant, according to Connecticut State Police.
Investigators say the collision happened on Nov. 7 near Main Street and Sunset Drive and involved three vehicles. The crash left one driver seriously hurt and later proved fatal. State police say the case stemmed from a sequence of events that began when one truck pulled out from a driveway and entered the westbound lane just as another vehicle was traveling past.
The driver of the truck was later found at fault in the crash investigation. He is now facing criminal charges tied to the death of the other motorist, who died days after being flown to a hospital.
How the crash unfolded on Main Street
State police with Troop C were called to the area around 7:30 p.m. after a report of a crash. When troopers arrived, they found a 1985 Chevrolet K10 light-duty truck, a 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer and a 2022 Chrysler Voyager minivan involved in the collision.
According to investigators, the Lancer was heading west on Main Street when 66-year-old Donald Chairamonte was leaving a driveway on Main Street in the truck. As the truck entered the westbound lane, it struck the Lancer.
After that impact, police say the Lancer spun into the eastbound lane and hit the Voyager, which was traveling eastbound at the time. The minivan then left the roadway, crashing into the front lawn of a nearby home and striking a mailbox.
Driver flown to Hartford Hospital after CPR at the scene
The driver of the Lancer was identified as 50-year-old Christian Nolan of Wales, Massachusetts. First responders found him in the center of the road and were performing CPR when they arrived, state police said.
Nolan was then flown by Life Star to Hartford Hospital for treatment. Police said he was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash happened.
Authorities later said Nolan died five days after the collision from his injuries. His death turned the crash investigation into a fatal case and led to the charges filed against Chairamonte.
Investigators say Chairamonte was at fault
After reviewing the crash, investigators determined that Chairamonte was responsible for the collision, according to state police. He was charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle and failing to grant the right of way.
The charges reflect the outcome of the crash investigation rather than the immediate scene response. Police have not released additional details about what evidence led to their findings, but they say the case centered on the truck entering traffic from the driveway.
Chairamonte turned himself in to Troop C on Thursday after the warrant was issued. State police said the 66-year-old is expected to appear in court on Nov. 3.
What happened to the other vehicles in the three-car crash
Beyond the fatal injuries suffered by Nolan, the crash also affected the two other vehicles involved. The Chrysler Voyager minivan, which was traveling eastbound, was struck after the Lancer spun across the roadway following the first collision.
The impact sent the minivan onto the front lawn of a nearby home, where it also hit a mailbox. State police did not say whether anyone in the minivan was hurt.
The crash scene, which involved a driveway entrance, both directions of travel and vehicles leaving the roadway, shows how quickly the sequence of impacts spread beyond the first collision.
Court date follows months-long fatal crash case
Chairamonte’s arrest closes a months-long gap between the Nov. 7 crash and the filing of charges. During that period, investigators were working through the cause of the collision and the circumstances that led to Nolan’s death.
The case now moves into court, where the charge of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle will be addressed alongside the alleged failure to yield the right of way. The expected Nov. 3 court appearance will be the next public step in the case.
For Nolan’s family and the Somers community, the filing marks the formal conclusion of the state police investigation into a crash that began on a quiet stretch of Main Street and ended with a fatal outcome days later.
