Driver in fatal Norwalk hit-and-run crash said he didn’t realize he hit a pedestrian, warrant says

NORWALK — The Bridgeport man charged with evading the scene of a fatal hit-and-run crash told police he thought he struck garbage or an animal before later realizing he might have hit a pedestrian, according to a warrant. Edwin Francisco-Bonilla, 30, was arrested on a warrant Monday following a Norwalk police investigation into the Nov. 19 crash on Van Buren Avenue that killed 81-year-old James H. Girardeau. The crash happened around 6:45 p.m., when Francisco-Bonilla failed to stop at a red light while turning left onto Van Buren Avenue from Bedford Avenue and hit a pedestrian with his gray 2017 Honda Accord, according to a warrant filed in state Superior Court in Stamford. The warrant says Francisco-Bonilla left the scene shortly after the crash, and Girardeau was struck by another vehicle traveling on Van Buren Avenue that didn’t see the 81-year-old man lying in the roadway. Norwalk police Lt. Ramon Tejada said the driver of the second vehicle “immediately stopped and rendered aid” to Girardeau, who ho was transported to a nearby hospital and later died from his injuries. The incident was captured on a nearby vehicle’s dashboard camera, according to police, who determined Girardeau had been struck while crossing Van Buren Avenue. Francisco-Bonilla’s arrest warrant says Girardeau activated a pedestrian signal at the crosswalk, turning all vehicular traffic signals red, before making his way across the street. He was about two-thirds of the way across when Francisco-Bonilla’s car went through a red light into the intersection and struck him, the warrant says. The impact knocked Girardeau to the ground and the Honda slowed down but left the scene about 20 seconds later, the warrant says. About 30 seconds after that, the warrant says Girardeau was run over by the second vehicle. Around 7:30 p.m., the warrant says the evading Honda was located on Colony Place and Francisco-Bonilla called police to report that “he struck ‘something’ near a highway entrance in Norwalk.” Francisco-Bonilla, a Lyft driver, told police he was unfamiliar with the area and didn’t know where the collision occurred, according to the warrant. He told police he had just completed a ride when the incident occurred but could not recall the destination address in Norwalk. The warrant says he also indicated the traffic signal at the intersection had been green, but video footage proved otherwise. After the impact, Francisco-Bonilla told police he briefly pulled over and looked back to see what he hit. “I first thought it was something (like) garbage or … a dog. I didn’t really know,” he stated, according to the warrant. After a few seconds, Francisco-Bonilla told police he decided to keep driving because he didn’t hear anyone yelling and there was no indication that anything serious had happened. While making his way to Bridgeport, Francisco-Bonilla told police he realized he “could have hit a person” and called two family members in a panic before reporting the incident to police. Data retrieved from an iPhone seized from Francisco-Bonilla revealed “significant activity prior to, during and after the crash event” — including “clear manipulation, with a strong indication of being held in the hand” at the time of the crash, according to the warrant for his arrest. Francisco-Bonilla was arrested on a warrant May 18, and charged with misconduct with a motor vehicle — a class E felony — as well as evading responsibility involving death, illegal harm of a vulnerable person on a public roadway, using a handheld device while driving, failure to obey a traffic control signal, illegal operation of a vehicle under suspension and driving with unsafe tires. Court records show he remains held on a $100,000 bond and has a plea hearing scheduled for June 30.