FAIRFIELD — A 60-year-old Derby man was charged with second-degree vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence after allegedly hitting and killing a state Department of Transportation worker on the side of Interstate 95 Sept. 25.
Police allege Edward Michael Myers admitted to snorting heroin prior to the collision, according to a criminal information summary.
State police said Myers hit 60-year-old Elvin Hernandez in the grassy shoulder on the right side of I-95 south as Hernandez was clearing debris. Hernandez died at Bridgeport Hospital. The incident happened at 10:35 a.m. Friday.
Gov. Ned Lamont offered condolences to Hernandez’ friends and family.
“CTDOT workers face dangerous situations while performing their jobs because of drivers who aren’t paying attention to road conditions and speeding through work zones,” Lamont said in a prepared statement. “I am imploring every single driver to show CTDOT and all other road maintenance workers and first responders respect and slow down whenever you see them working on our roads. My prayers are with Elvin’s family, friends, and CTDOT colleagues.”
State police said Myers, who also struck a parked DOT dump truck, “exhibited multiple indicators of impairment at the collision scene,” according to the criminal information summary.
The indicators included poor coordination, slow speech, disorientation, and constricted pupils, police said.
Police said they found cocaine in his jacket pocket.
Myers was also charged with operating a motor vehicle without an ignition device, which indicates a previous charge for operating under the influence.
Court records show a man with Myers’ name and birth year was charged in 2025 by state police with driving under the influence. He was sentenced in April 2026 to 18 months probation and a six-month suspended sentence.
Edwards was arraigned Monday (Sept. 28) in Superior Court in Bridgeport, where a judge set his bond at $2 million, according to The Connecticut Post.