ANSONIA – A man arrested in connection to a fatal accident was allegedly tailgating the crash victim, according to an arrest warrant.
Isac Saravia, 26, was arrested Oct. 29 and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and reckless driving. His arrest came about a month after a crash which took the life of Adonis Lapuppet-Bligen, 27, of Ansonia.
According to the warrant, police were called to the area of Pershing Drive and Clifton Avenue on Sept. 24 at around 7:44 a.m. A car had crashed into a utility pole.
Medical personnel attempted to provide aid to Lapuppet-Bligen, who was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the warrant.
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After arriving, officers spoke with witnesses, three of whom said they saw another car speeding alongside Lapuppet-Bligen’s before the accident. A detective learned the other car belonged to Saravia, the warrant says, and went to speak with him.
Saravia allegedly told officers he was speeding in order to catch up to Lapuppet-Bligen and tell him to slow down.
Saravia said he and Lapuppet-Bligen were coworkers, according to the warrant, and said Lapuppet-Bligen had passed him on a Route 8 northbound exit ramp before coming to a stop at the traffic light on Pershing Drive.
Saravia allegedly said he pulled up on Lapuppet-Bligen’s left side at the next traffic light near Pershing Drive and Division Street, and that he told Lapuppet-Bligen he needed to slow down.
Saravia said Lapuppet-Bligen then sped up after the light turned green, and that he also sped up to try to catch up, the warrant says.
An officer asked Saravia if he was racing Lapuppet-Bligen. Saravia said he was not, according to the warrant.
Police then reviewed video footage collected from multiple businesses along the route and compared it to Saravia’s account. The footage allegedly showed Saravia speeding right behind Lapuppet-Bligen, and showed both cars speeding through a stop light moments before the crash.
“Isac Saravia was tailgating Adonis Lapuppet-Bligen at what appeared to be a high rate of speed,” the warrant states. “Isac Saravia had to slow down abruptly as Adonis Lapuppt-Bligen lost control of his Audi right in front of him, right after they both sped through the red traffic signal on Pershing Drive and Clifton Avenue.”
Officers from Fairfield were later called in to help reconstruct the crash using video footage. Using that footage, officers calculated Saravia’s car was allegedly traveling about 80 miles per hour at the time of the crash.
Nearby witnesses said they saw flames from Lapuppet-Bligen’s car as it spun off the road. They said they ran over to check on him before first responders arrived.
“Isac Saravia denied he was racing Adonis Lapuppet-Bligen before the crash. However, what Isac Seravia did admit was that he was traveling above the speed limit,” the warrant says.
Lapuppet-Bligen’s death was later ruled an accident via blunt force trauma. He had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .089 at the time of the accident, according to a statement by Ansonia Police Lieutenant Patrick Lynch, which is above the Connecticut legal limit of .080.
Lapuppet-Bligen was a graduate of Platt Technical High School in Milford, where he was captain of the varsity football team, according to his obituary. He is survived by his siblings and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Saravia is scheduled to appear at Superior Court in Derby Nov. 12.