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NORWALK, Conn. A 20-year-old Norwalk woman accused of causing a fatal accident in May in Weston was arraigned Thursday on a charge of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle.
Cindy Rivera, of 26 Silvermine Ave., is accused of driving too fast, losing control of her car and hitting another vehicle head-on at a curve on Newtown Turnpike in Weston, near the Redding town line, on May 6. The driver of the other vehicle, Emily Smith, 85, was pronounced dead May 22 at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She died of blunt force trauma in a motor vehicle accident, a court affidavit says.
Rivera appeared in Norwalk Superior Court to be arraigned on charges of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, reckless driving, driving to endanger non-truck, operating a motor vehicle without a license and failure to drive in a proper lane on a multilane highway. She was arrested by Weston police.
Rivera told an emergency medical technician at the scene that she was driving fast because she was being chased by another car, the affidavit says. She said her vehicle had been sideswiped, and the other driver turned around and chased her. That statement was not validated by two witnesses to the accident, who said no one had been chasing her, the affidavit says.
Riveras silver Ford had mismatched tires, the affidavit says. The front tires were of different heights and the left rear tire was thinner than the right rear tire. The rear wheels slid out to the right as Rivera drove north, and the Ford crossed into the southbound lane, hitting Smiths vehicle head on, the affidavit says.
Both drivers were trapped in their cars and had to be extricated, the affidavit said. A 16-year-old male passenger in Riveras car got out on his own, it said.
The engine of Riveras car was found in the woods, the affidavit said.
Rivera was released on $10,000 bond. Her next court date is Oct. 31.
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