a day ago
Driver held in hit and run that seriously hurt two children
A 23-year-old driver told police he had been drinking and didn't remember striking two children crossing the street in Manchester on Thursday afternoon, causing life-threatening injuries, a prosecutor said Friday.
Justin LaClair of Manchester crashed his silver Volvo about five blocks away and at first denied being behind the wheel, prosecutor Carl Olson said during a bail hearing in Manchester District Court.
Judge Kimberly Chabot ordered LaClair to be held without bail. The police investigation is ongoing.
Investigators were able to get video footage of the crash, which showed a nearly 1-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl flying through the air near Spruce Street as the car took off, Olson said. The crash was reported around 4 p.m.
'He is then seen on video going another five more blocks,' he said. 'He is going at such a speed that when he crosses over one of the streets the car actually goes airborne. That is the kind of speed he is going.'
The younger child, who was in a baby carrier, likely sustained a broken neck and went into cardiac arrest six times, police records say. She needed to be flown from Elliot Hospital to another hospital by helicopter for treatment. She will turn 1 year old on Saturday.
The 11-year-old suffered a broken arm, broken femur, broken clavicle and a punctured lung.
The results of LaClair's toxicology were not complete as of Friday morning, but a police officer observed red and glassy eyes and the odor of alcohol.
'He doesn't even remember striking anybody,' Olson said. 'Then he stated, 'I was drunk. I was not thinking about getting into an accident. It was not a smart idea. It is not what I should have been doing.''
Olson argued LaClair was an 'extreme danger' to the heavily populated area of the city.
Public defender Alayna Trilling entered a 'no plea' on LaClair's behalf on the charges of aggravated DWI, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and conduct after an accident. He faces a total of six charges.
As part of the bail hearing, Trilling argued LaClair should be released on $1,000 cash bail with a condition of surrendering his license and not driving. His parents, uncle, brother, and girlfriend were in the courtroom to show support.
LaClair is a father of four and has two stepchildren, Trilling said, and he is the primary financial provider from his job as a cook.
'We are not looking at someone who ever went out there to hurt or someone who has a history of hurting people,' Trilling said. 'That is not who Mr. LaClair is and anyone who knows him will tell you that.'
Trilling also expressed concern about a serious head injury LaClair sustained in the accident and his voluntary statements made in the hospital. He does not have a motor vehicle record.
According to a 10-page police affidavit, LaClair and his girlfriend had a verbal argument and decided to 'just get out of the house.' He told police he consumed beers and Smirnoff 'tall boys.'
A witness told police that LaClair stumbled out of the car and began walking west along Hanover Street. A witness told police that LaClair said he needed to go to the store after crashing.
LaClair at first told police he had not been driving, but sustained injuries from falling. His speech was slurred, according to the affidavit.
Chabot said numerous witnesses saw LaClair blow through five stop signs.
'In this instance, someone was trying to escort his five children across the street,' she said. 'If you yourself are a father, I am sure you can imagine that angst. What these charges demonstrate is a disregard.'
A probable cause hearing is scheduled for June 23.
jphelps@
