The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-19

Testimony was taken from 10 witnesses by the coroner. He finds that French was driving on the wrong side of the road and at a high rate or speed. Vincenzi was dead on the arrival of the medi- cal examiner, while a companion, Croci Marinelli, was taken to the Waterbury hospital to be treated for injuries that he received.
 French did not. inform the po- lice of the accident until the next day and did so thriugh counsel.
 Coroner Monzani's finding fol- lows:
 Deceased, who was a resident of Oakville, came to Waterbury about 6 o'clock in the evening of Sep tember 23, 1883, together with his brother-in-law, also 8 resident of Oakville. They went to call upon friends and spent the evening in and missed the last car for OakvilIe, and then started some time after the last car had gone to walk home. At that time there was some construction work being done on Watertown avenue near Robbins street and one of the men took 5 and carried it along with him. How long he carried the lan- tern lighted, if it was lighted at all, I have been unable to learn at but as he was walking along to- wards his home he was observed by several to be carrying the un- lighted lantern in his. hand. He and his companion endeayerode to stop passing motorists and secure a ride, but were unable to do so, and after they reached that part Of avenue where the trol- ley tracks leave the highway and travel along the side and on the easterly side of it, they walked in the trolley tracks.
 Just before 2 o'clock there was fog covering the stretch of highway above the site of the former race track and Oak vile, but these men walked in the trolley track or right beside it, not in the highway.
 While they were so proceeding towards their home and when they had reached a point just south of the intersection of Belmont ave- nue an automobile operated by James J. French was proceeding on Watertown avenue to- wards Waterbury. At that time Vim cenzi was walking on the highway adjoining the wester-: ly rail of the trolley track and MarineIli was walking just inside of the westerly rail. Branch, who was proceeding at a rapid rate Of speed and driving through the fog on the wrong side of the street, struck Vincenzi, throwing him to the ground, his badly also striking knocking him down in the trolley tracks. French did not stop, but continued on to Water bury and drove to his home, where he left his car. A passing motorlst discovered the two men lying in the trolley tracks mad the police were and the ambulance sum- moned from the Waterbury hospi- tai. Marinelli wa sremoved to the hospital where he subsequently, re- covered from his injuries.
 Vincenzi was found to be dead upon the arrival of the medical exameiner. There was g. large gash torn open in his skull and his entire brain had been forced out and scattered along the trolley tracks. At the time the men were discovered ther was no clue or ink ling as to the manner in which they had received their injuries. nor was there apparently anybody who observed what actually hap pened other than themselves and the operator of the machine which inflicted the injuries. As q matter of fact, in. this case it has been extremely difficult to locate anyone who was in that vicinity at about
 the time the accident occurred. Later on the afternoon of Septem- Der "A, 1883, French sought the advice and counsel of an attorney in Waterbury, who immediately ad- vised him to surrender, which he did as soon as he could get in touch with me. He had apparently as 500 as the accident had occurred become so confused and frightened that he ran away and, realizing it was necessary to inform the au- thorities of his connection with the death, he did so through his coun sel. From the distance the bodies were thrown and the space over which the brain matter of the dead man was distributed, there is every indication that French was operat- ing at a fast rate of speed,
 find that said death was caused by complete avulsion of the brain through a compound. communica- ted, complete fracture of the skull and face, together with com
 pound, communicated fracture of the right pelvis and left femur, re- ceived when deceased was strock
 by the automobile operated by James J. French, and that said death was caused by the gross and
 criminal negligence of said French.