New London woman charged in fatal Ledyard crash
May 8—A 23-year-old New London woman accused of fleeing a traffic stop in Gales Ferry earlier this year has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in connection with a subsequent fatal crash, police said.
Amber M. Lahue, of 255 Williams St., Apt. 1B, turned herself into Ledyard police on Tuesday and was charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reckless driving and improper passing.
At approximately 9:25 p.m. on Feb. 22, Lahue was stopped by a Ledyard police officer near Oakridge Drive on Route 12 for speeding, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Police said Lahue fled from the officer, heading north on Route 12 and crossing the double yellow line while passing several southbound vehicles. Investigators determined Lahue lost control of her vehicle and collided with a boulder, causing her car to flip onto its roof.
A trapped backseat passenger, Aaron E. Baldwin, 27, was extricated and taken to Backus Hospital in Norwich, where he was pronounced dead. No cause of death has yet been released.
Another of Lahue's two passengers, Maria A. Morais-Goncalves, told police she and Lahue consumed three cocktails in the hours before the crash, including one at the Triple B restaurant in Gales Ferry. Lahue told police she had two drinks on the night of the crash.
GPS data extracted from Baldwin's ankle monitor showed the group left Triple B about two minutes before Lahue was stopped for speeding. Baldwin was on parole, police said.
The same GPS information showed Lahue's vehicle hitting a speed of 95 miles per hour just before the crash. The stretch of road where the crash occurred, near Holmberg Orchards, is a 45 mile-per-hour zone.
A toxicology report concluded Lahue had a blood-alcohol level of 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit, police said.
Lahue posted a $150,000 court-set bond and is due to be arraigned on May 21 in New London Superior Court.
