A 25-year-old Shelton man was charged Thursday in connection to a fatal hit-and-run crash on Howe Avenue.
The collision occurred May 11, 2016, and killed 54-year-old Teresa Glossy, who was walking home from a carnival on Canal Street when she was struck by a vehicle about 8:40 p.m.
In a prepared statement, Shelton Police Detective Richard Bango said an investigation by detectives and the police department’s accident reconstruction team identified 25-year-old William Donofrio as a suspect in the case.
Bango said Donofrio was driving a Ford Taurus south on Howe Avenue, struck Glossy, then fled the scene.
“The investigation also revealed Donofrio cleaned and hid the vehicle immediately after the accident,” Bango said.
Donofrio was charged Thursday with evading responsibility, tampering with physical evidence, and failure to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian.
Patty Ardisi, one of Glossy’s sisters, said Thursday that she and her family are upset Donofrio isn’t facing more serious charges.
Ardisi said she reached out to a sergeant in the police department’s traffic division, who told her they couldn’t prove more serious charges.
The family wanted to see Donofrio face a negligent homicide charge.
“He left the scene and left her there to die,” Ardisi said. “How is that not negligent something?”
Bango, in an email Thursday, said he couldn’t discuss the details of the case.
“I can’t get into the specifics of that,” he said.
Members of Glossy’s family reached out to the Valley Indy in February because they said police weren’t communicating with them about the investigation.
Ardisi said she hopes prosecutors will seek more serious charges against Donofrio.
“I just can’t get over it,” she said.
Police said Donofrio was released after posting a $15,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Superior Court in Derby March 17.
