Man charged after Waterford woman’s fatal accident: State Police

POMFRET, CT – State police say a man has been arrested in connection with a car crash last fall that killed a Waterford woman.

Ian Gillis, 35, of Griswold, was charged with reckless driving, driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol, failure to drive on the right side of the road and second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle.

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Elisha Eden Roode, 35, of Waterford, was a passenger in the car and died in the crash, NBC CT reported.

The accident occurred on October 9, 2023, while Gillis was driving his 1967 Triumph GT6. He was driving on Route 169 in Pomfret at 8:24 p.m.

While making the turn, the car left the road, struck a guardrail, then a tree and ended up in a ravine. According to state police, Gillis was driving over 70 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone at the time of the accident.

Police also said they found beer cans in the car. His blood alcohol level at the time of the accident was 0.07 per mille, just under the legal limit of 0.08 per mille, the arrest warrant states.

Gillis suffered serious injuries in the accident and was taken by rescue helicopter to UMASS Memorial Medical Center.

He recently turned himself in to state police and was held on $125,000 bail. His appearance in Danielson Superior Court is scheduled for July 1.