CT woman in fatal accident more than twice the legal limit

A New London woman arrested Tuesday on manslaughter and drunken driving charges is believed to have been more than twice the legal limit when she fled a car stop minutes before her fatal rollover crash in Ledyard in February.

Amber Lahue, 23, has been booked on charges of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, reckless driving and improper passing, according to Ledyard police.

The charges stem from a crash on Route 12 in Gales Ferry around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 22, police said. After the crash, the backseat passenger, 27-year-old Aaron Baldwin Jr. of New London, was taken to William Backus Hospital in Norwich, where he was pronounced dead, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

According to the affidavit, a passenger in Lahue’s vehicle told authorities that Lahue picked her up between 6:30 and 7 p.m. before picking up Baldwin and another man. They went to a restaurant in Groton, where the passenger claimed she and Lahue each drank two Hennessy and Coke mixed drinks, the affidavit said.

The woman told police that she, Lahue and Baldwin left about an hour later and went to another restaurant in Gales Ferry, the affidavit said. The fourth person with them took an Uber home.

At the second restaurant, the woman claimed that she and Lahue each had a drink before leaving, according to the affidavit.

Investigators said they were able to confirm the series of events through the GPS monitor of Baldwin, who was on probation at the time, police wrote.

Shortly after leaving the second restaurant, an officer stopped Lahue on Route 12 in the area of ​​Oakridge Drive just before 9:30 p.m. When the officer issued a speeding ticket, Lahue reportedly drove off quickly north on Route 12, according to the affidavit.

The officer followed him but did not turn on the lights or siren. He allegedly witnessed Lahue crossing the yellow center line and passing other motorists before moving back into the northbound lane, the affidavit states. The officer then lost sight of the vehicle.

According to the affidavit, Baldwin’s GPS monitor allegedly indicated that the vehicle he was in was traveling at speeds of up to 95 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone.

Police were later able to speak with several witnesses who claimed Lahue crossed the yellow center line again to pass other drivers, and when she moved back into the correct lane, she lost control of her vehicle on a curve, according to the affidavit. The vehicle left the road, overturned and struck a boulder at one point before landing on its roof, the affidavit states.

The collision pinned Baldwin in the back seat.

Lahue and the passenger were able to get out of the car before police arrived. The passenger was taken to Backus Hospital for evaluation.

According to the affidavit, Lahue was placed in the back of a patrol car, where authorities could smell alcohol while speaking with her. She told police she had two drinks before the accident, the affidavit states.

Lahue was later taken to Backus Hospital where a blood sample was taken. Police obtained a search warrant for her medical records, which showed her blood alcohol content was .21 after the accident, according to the affidavit. The legal limit for driving in Connecticut is 0.08.

The arrest warrant for Lahue was signed by a judge on Monday.

She posted $150,000 bail after her arrest and is scheduled to be arraigned May 21 in New London Superior Court.