Man faces homicide charge in January 2021 car crash in North Stonington
Jan. 14—State police have charged a man with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle in connection with a fatal car crash in North Stonington in January of last year.
Troopers arrested James E. Pont, 60, at 80 Yawbux Valley Road, North Stonington, on an outstanding warrant Wednesday night, according to an incident summary from state police. Pont, who also was charged with failure to drive in the proper lane, was held on a $25,000 bond.
Pont was traveling south in a GMC Safari van on Route 49 just before 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2021, when he crossed the center line into the northbound lane, according to an arrest warrant affidavit from Trooper Charles R. Workman. This happened just south of Interstate 95.
The affidavit said the left front part of Pont's vehicle hit the left front portion of a Honda Civic. The driver was taken to Westerly Hospital and pronounced dead at 4:16 p.m.
Last January, police identified the victim as 39-year-old Ryan Poland of North Providence.
A person driving behind Pont said in a written statement that they observed the van swerving a lot and didn't see the driver hit his brakes before hitting the other vehicle, the affidavit said. Police also got written statements from two drivers traveling behind the Honda Civic, one of whom said the driver of the van was conscious and crying for help, while the driver of the sedan was unconscious.
Police said members of the North Stonington Volunteer Fire Department tended to Pont, who was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. The affidavit didn't specify the nature of his injuries.
The affidavit said police interviewed Pont on April 16. Pont said he didn't remember driving on Route 49 leading up to the accident and said he didn't have anything to drink before leaving his house. The affidavit said Pont departed the southbound lane "for an unknown reason."
State police referred further questions from The Day to the New London Judicial District State's Attorney's Office, which didn't respond to a message Thursday.
According to police logs from The Westerly Sun, Pont was charged Dec. 5, 2021, in Hopkinton, R.I. with "driving under the influence with an unknown blood alcohol content and refusal to submit to a chemical test, second offense within five years."
Ryan Poland's obituary said he left behind three children, both parents and two siblings. The obituary described him as a songwriter and musician who had a deep love of fishing and a passion for cooking, music and gardening. He was a master carpenter.
East Bay Newspapers reported that there's now a bench dedicated to Poland overlooking Brickyard Pond in Barrington, a spot where Poland often walked as a young boy and where he loved to fish.
