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Arthur L. Wright

Age : 63

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 11/19/2022

Location : Highland Avenue (Route 10) near West Johnson Avenue

City : Cheshire

County : New Haven

State : Connecticut

Agency : Cheshire Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Passenger killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE:
Pursuit of alleged shoplifter.
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NARRATIVE:
On 11/19/2022, 63-year-old Arthur L. Wright of Cheshire was killed when the Lexus in which he was a passenger crashed into a series of vehicles on Highland Avenue while its driver, Walter H. Spencer, was fleeing an attempted traffic stop by Cheshire police.
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The encounter began after a reported shoplifting at Cheshire Wine & Spirits on Highland Avenue. Cheshire Police Chief Neil Dryfe later confirmed that a police sergeant attempted to stop the Lexus in connection with the theft. The sergeant subsequently stopped actively following the Lexus before the fatal sequence of collisions.
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At approximately 4:15 p.m., Spencer was driving north on Highland Avenue with Wright in the front passenger seat. Connecticut State Police reported that the Lexus crossed into the southbound lane and struck a Volkswagen Jetta. It returned to the northbound lane and struck a Jeep Commander, rotated, struck the rear of a Mitsubishi Eclipse and continued north before crashing into the rear of a Ford Transit van near West Johnson Avenue.
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Wright suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to Saint Mary's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Spencer and the drivers of the Mitsubishi and Ford were also transported to hospitals with injuries.
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The police connection was established even more clearly in the subsequent criminal case. In June 2023, Connecticut State Police arrested Spencer on a warrant charging him with first-degree manslaughter, interfering with an officer, failure to stop when signaled and five counts of evading responsibility. Reporting based on the arrest warrant explicitly described Spencer as fleeing Cheshire police before the series of crashes that killed Wright.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wfsb.com/2022/11/19/cheshire-police-vehicle-collides-with-multiple-cars-different-locations/
https://www.cspnews.org/post/11-19-22-state-police-investigate-fatal-collision-on-highland-ave-in-cheshire
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/Cheshire-fatal-crash-traffic-stop-Route-10-17601620.php