Father charged in Groton crash that killed 4-year-old daughter
[naviga:img class="img-responsive" src="/Assets/news2015/0110DayAli.JPG" alt="David Ali"/]
David Ali
Groton — After a lengthy investigation, town police on Tuesday arrested the father who was behind the wheel during a crash that killed his 4-year-old daughter in October.
David J. Ali, 28, of Griswold was charged with second-degree manslaughter with a vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, risk of injury to a minor, reckless driving, second-degree reckless endangerment, two counts of third-degree assault, failure to grant right of way at an intersection and making an improper turn.
According to police, Ali was driving his 2001 Toyota Camry west on Gold Star Highway toward the intersection of Packer and Welles roads about 5:15 p.m. Oct. 31. Kendall Metcalf, 20, of North Stonington was driving her 2001 BMW east on Gold Star Highway toward the same intersection.
Police said their investigation revealed that Ali then attempted to turn left onto Packer Road despite the oncoming BMW. The BMW struck the Camry and continued eastbound before rolling over.
Police said crews took Ali and his front seat passenger, Cheryl Mackin, to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. The Camry’s third occupant, 4-year-old Delilah Ali, was taken by Life Star helicopter from L+M to Yale New Haven Hospital, where she died the next afternoon. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death was blunt injury of the head, with the manner of death accidental, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Metcalf sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene, police said.
Police said an arrest warrant was issued as a result of the evidence investigators established. Ali turned himself in to police Tuesday morning. He was held on a $250,000 bond.
One of the first officers at the accident described a chaotic scene, with the sounds of people screaming and yelling, sirens of responding emergency vehicles, bystanders trying to help or walking around, passing motorists trying to maneuver around the accident and a roadway covered with fluid and debris, the affidavit said. The officer found the child lying face down, with her head in the direction of the left rear passenger seat and the lower half of her body in the exposed trunk of the car, the affidavit said. Ali was hysterical, crying and sobbing, with his face flush and eyes red, the affidavit said.
Emergency medical personnel smelled an odor of alcohol, but Ali denied having anything to drink during the day other than a "nip" of a vodka drink while the family was getting ready to go to Mystic, the affidavit said. Detectives later obtained a search-and-seizure warrant and brought it to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital to get Ali's blood alcohol results, the affidavit said.
Ledyard police assisted the Groton Town Accident Reconstruction Team in investigating the crash.
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