Massachusetts man charged with manslaughter after fatal DUI crash in Enfield in November

Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant
Updated ·2 min read

A Massachusetts man previously charged with a DUI after a fatal crash in Enfield in November was charged with manslaughter on Tuesday, according to the Connecticut State Police.

Dominic Grassetti, 25, of Southwick, Massachusetts, was arrested on an active warrant and charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle. Charges stem from a fatal crash on Interstate 91 in Enfield on Nov. 12, 2021. He was originally charged with a DUI on the night of the crash, according to state police.

Police responded to I-91 north near the Exit 48 off-ramp in Enfield after midnight on Nov. 12. Fernando Lebron, 60, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was driving in the right lane in a Scion xA when a Hyundai Sonata hit him from behind, causing both drivers to lose control of their vehicles, state police said.

Lebron died on the scene from injuries sustained in the crash. He suffered blunt force trauma to the head, neck and torso, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Grassetti, who was driving the Hyundai, was not injured and declined medical attention, state police said. He reportedly tried to render aid to Lebron before emergency services arrived.

Grassetti allegedly showed signs of impairment and police smelled alcohol on his breath. Grassetti later told police he had one beer around three hours before the crash, according to the warrant. He failed several field sobriety tests and declined a chemical alcohol assessment, according to the arrest warrant.

According to the warrant, state troopers found five empty 1.7-ounce vodka bottles, one empty hard seltzer and a plastic bag of Adderall pills — which Grassetti later explained were prescription medications — in his Hyundai.

Police determined Grassetti was impaired but could not determine what categories of drugs he was impaired with, according to their observations. According to the warrant, investigations showed he was driving at a speed of 109 to 118 mph at the time of the crash. State troops subsequently applied for and obtained the warrant charging him with manslaughter.

He was arrested on Monday after turning himself into Troop H in Hartford, state police said.

Grassetti was held on a $150,000 bond and appeared in Enfield Superior Court. He is scheduled to appear next in Hartford Superior Court on Oct. 17.