Judge Orders Connecticut Man Held Without Bail in Fatal Crash
A Claremont judge ordered 49 year old Dylan Galland of East Windsor Connecticut to be held without bail after a Friday crash on Maple Street in Newport killed 25 year old Ashley Wendt of Washington New Hampshire. The decision follows evidence of substantial intoxication and prosecution concerns about public safety, matters that resonate in Sullivan County as communities weigh road safety and support for grieving families.
A judge in Claremont District Court found probable cause Monday to keep Dylan Galland jailed pending a Dec. 16 probable cause hearing, after prosecutors said Galland struck a Jeep Wrangler head on on Friday and killed the driver. Galland faces charges of negligent homicide and aggravated driving while intoxicated after his blood alcohol level tested at .20, well above the legal limit of .08.
The crash occurred on Maple Street in Newport on Friday afternoon. Police said the Jeep, driven by 25 year old Ashley Wendt of Washington New Hampshire, rolled over and Wendt died at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner concluded she died of "multiple blunt force injuries." Wendt was driving home from work at Dunkin Donuts in Sunapee, according to the police account.
Judge Justin Hersh told the court he found probable cause that releasing Galland would "endanger the community and yourself." Hersh said he had "serious concerns" about Galland's ability to refrain from consuming alcohol and to refrain from driving after consuming alcohol based on Galland's statements to police after the collision.
Sullivan County Attorney Molly Lovell urged continued detention, citing what she described as Galland's conduct at the scene and statements admitting to drinking bourbon and looking down at his phone for directions. Lovell told the court Galland made jokes after the collision, was driving in the middle of the road, was exceeding the speed limit by 15 miles per hour and displayed signs of intoxication. Officers at the scene noted "watery eyes, slow, thick and slurred speech and strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person." Lovell also said Galland, an Air Force veteran, suffers from "mental health issues" and there are concerns he will attempt to "kill himself."
Galland appeared remotely from Sullivan County jail in Unity. Prosecutors said he was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado registered to a friend who lives in Newport and with whom Galland was staying. He was treated first at Valley Regional Hospital for minor injuries before being booked.
The Newport Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit continue to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to contact Newport Police at 603 863 3232. For Sullivan County residents the case underscores ongoing concerns about impaired driving and the fragility of small town networks when tragedy strikes.
