Winsted woman killed in Route 8 crash:Police expect to make arrest

WINSTED — A Route 8 crash that killed a Winsted woman will ultimately result in an arrest, according to state police, who said they have interviewed the Winsted man who allegedly caused the fatal wreck.

Thirty-five-year-old Patricia Bessette was taken off life support Monday, Nov. 8, at Hartford Hospital, where she had been listed in critical condition since the Nov. 4 highway crash. A white GMC K1500 pickup truck, reportedly driven by Matthew Prelli, 44, of Winsted, crashed into a Jeep Cherokee in which Bessette was a passenger in the back seat.

Prelli allegedly fled the scene, but his truck was found several hours later, parked at his home at 13 Wallens St., with heavy damage to the front end.

Described by friends as caring, warm and funny, Bessette was a cancer survivor, married, with two daughters and three stepchildren. A gathering in her memory has been scheduled for Friday, Nov. 19, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Winsted VFW, 114 Colebrook River Road.

Police said the accident occurred at 7:13 p.m. Nov. 4, when Prelli’s truck struck the rear of the Jeep, driven by Gail Bull of Winsted. A heavy collision at the rear passenger side of the Jeep occurred as the driver of the pickup attempted to pass, sending Bull’s vehicle sliding off the rain-slick highway and crashing into a guardrail. Bessette, who was sitting in the back seat, was thrown into the rear of the vehicle and was trapped between the Jeep’s spare tire and the guardrail before being extricated by emergency workers.

Bessette was taken to Hartford Hospital, where she remained in critical condition and was placed on life support. On Monday, doctors determined that the injuries to her brain were too severe to expect a recovery. She was taken off life support and died at 2:15 p.m.

Bull and a front-seat passenger, 21-year-old Colin Gordon of Torrington, were uninjured in the accident.

State police said they seized Prelli’s vehicle and interviewed him but had not made an arrest as of this week.

“We’re still working on it,� said Lt. Paul Vance, spokesman for the Connecticut State Police. “The timeline on these cases involves many different facets of different organizations — search warrants, obtaining records, examination of vehicles and witnesses who may or may not need lawyers present. We will do a thorough investigation and answer all of the questions surrounding what happened.�

If he is charged, Prelli could face felony charges of evading responsibility in an accident involving serious injury or death, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.