Local Man Charged In Connection With Fatal Crash

By Andrew Gorosko

Police have charged a local man with misconduct with a motor vehicle in connection with the fatal early morning auto accident that caused the death of his friend last September at the intersection of Botsford Hill Road and Button Shop Road.

Police charged motorist Brennan Fraczek, 25, of 3 Old Town Road, with the Class D felony March 21 following their investigation of the September 24, 1999, accident which killed rear seat passenger Stephen Mazuroski, 24, of John Beach Road.

After learning that police held the Danbury Superior Court arrest warrant, Fraczek turned himself in at the police station. Police released him on a promise to appear in court March 30 to answer the charge.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Misconduct with a motor vehicle involves criminal negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle in causing the death of another person.

According to a police arrest warrant affidavit filed at court, blood tests indicated that Fraczek had a blood alcohol level of 0.11 percent. Under Connecticut law, a driver with a blood alcohol level of more than 0.10 percent is considered legally drunk.

According to the affidavit submitted by Newtown patrol officer Robert Koetsch, who is the police department’s motor vehicle accident reconstructionist, police were dispatched to the accident at 1:28 am and found an extensively damaged 1993 blue Jeep Grand Cherokee next to a tree at the intersection.

“While speaking to Mr Fraczek, Officer [Aaron] Bahamonde detected a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, and saw that his eyes were glazed,” according to the affidavit. Officer Bahamonde then saw the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps take front seat passenger Casey Trocolla, 22, of Old Gate Lane, to an ambulance, after which he was transported to Danbury Hospital for treatment of a concussion, and a sprain and contusion to the right knee.

Firefighters extricated Mr Mazuroski from the rear seat of the Jeep and carried him to an ambulance, transporting him to Danbury Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:27 am. An autopsy determined the death to be accidental due to blunt force trauma to the chest caused when the Jeep rolled over and struck a tree.

“The blood test results indicate that Brennan Fraczek was intoxicated at the time of [motor vehicle] operation on 09/24/99,” according to the affidavit.

An inspection of the Jeep at the town garage, conducted as part of the police investigation into the accident, showed no mechanical defects in the vehicle that would cause the accident. Brakes and steering were in operating condition, the court papers state.

 In investigating the crash, police took measurements at the curve where the Jeep left the road.  Based on tire marks, the Jeep was calculated to be traveling southbound on Botsford Hill Road at 66 miles per hour. The area is posted with a 35 mile per hour speed limit.

 Mr Fraczek was unable to control the Jeep on the curve and went off the northbound road shoulder, traveled along an embankment for about 30 feet, struck a large rock, vaulted into the air, began rolling to the right, and landed on the northbound lane. The Jeep slid on its roof, rolled over and landed on its four tires, moving backwards until it collided with a tree on the southern side of Button Shop Road, according to the court documents.

Investigation

In investigating the circumstances leading to the accident, police obtained a statement from Jonathan Grauer, 21, of 51 Toddy Hill Road.

Mr Grauer told police that he was with the other three men on the night of September 23 at the Brookfield Lanes bowling alleys in Brookfield. Mr Grauer told police he saw Fraczek consume alcohol between 9 and 11 pm, but that Mr Fraczek did not consume as much alcohol as Mr Grauer and the two others.

The night of bowling concluded between 11:15 and 11:30 pm and the four men then went outside into the parking lot where they spent about 45 minutes. Mr Grauer told police that Mr Mazuroski then drove him to his Toddy Hill Road home in Mr Grauer’s vehicle.

Mr Mazuroski then entered Fraczek’s Jeep, which had been driven to the Grauer residence.

In the investigation, Mr Trocolla told police he saw Fraczek drink at least two beers and two shots of alcohol while he was at the bowling alleys.

According to the affidavit, Mr Trocolla told police he does not remember leaving the bowling alley or being in its parking lot or the events leading up to the accident.