Man convicted of manslaughter in motorcyclist's death
Sep. 23—A man who got in a sport-utility vehicle and sped after a motorcycle on East Hartford streets after he and the motorcyclist had argued at a cookout, ultimately hitting the motorcycle from behind and killing the driver, was convicted in a plea bargain this week of first-degree manslaughter.
FATAL CRASH
DEFENDANT: Sean St. Patrick Steven, 33, who is known as "Fire" and has lived in an apartment complex at 360 Oakland St. in Manchester
CONVICTION: First-degree manslaughter under a provision dealing with extremely reckless conduct
SENTENCING: Nov. 15 in Hartford Superior Court. Steven could face a sentence of 20 years, suspended after 14 years in prison, followed by three years of probation, but defense lawyer Walter Hussey will have the right to argue for a prison term as short as seven years.
Sean St. Patrick Steven, 33, who is known as "Fire" and has lived in an apartment complex at 360 Oakland St. in Manchester, faces a sentence between seven and 14 years when he is sentenced Nov. 15 in Hartford Superior Court.
Whatever prison term Steven receives will be followed by three years of probation, with at least six more years of possible prison time for any violation of release conditions.
Steven was convicted of first-degree manslaughter under the Alford doctrine, meaning that he didn't admit guilt but acknowledged that the prosecution's evidence was sufficient for a conviction at trial.
He was convicted under a provision of the manslaughter law dealing with extremely reckless conduct. He had originally been charged under a provision that deals with causing death while intending to cause serious physical injury. The penalties under the two provisions are the same.
Steven has been held in lieu of high bond since his arrest in the case in late August 2019.
Alfred Levy, 54, of Hartford, was killed in the Aug. 11, 2019, crash.
A witness told police after the crash that both vehicles had come from the same cookout in the Veterans Terrace apartment complex on Columbus Circle in East Hartford, according to an affidavit by East Hartford police Officer Jared Richards.
Another witness said Levy had pulled a gun during the heated argument, the officer reported. At one point, the witness told police, people at the cookout had to intervene to keep their argument from turning physical.
After Levy left on his motorcycle, Steven sprinted to a SUV and got in the driver's seat, the witness told police. People at the party tried to stop him from leaving by standing in the way of the SUV, but he "whipped out" of the parking lot, according to the witness.
Surveillance cameras at homes on Park Avenue showed the motorcycle moving at the speed of other traffic while the SUV followed at high speed, the officer reported.
The SUV's event data recorder, or "black box," showed that four seconds before the crash, it was going 106 mph, the officer reported. But just before impact, the SUV's speed was down to about 57 mph, the officer added.
The posted speed limit on Park Avenue is 25 mph, according to the officer.
Steven was arrested on a warrant in a family violence case 16 days after the crash and described the incident without being questioned by police, according to the officer.
Steven described the argument and driving "fast as hell" after Levy, the officer reported, adding that Steven said they collided after the motorcycle cut him off.
Steven admitted leaving the scene after the accident, which witnesses had also described to police. The witnesses said the SUV driver didn't check on the motorcyclist, according to the officer.
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