CBS affiliate in Las Vegas, KLAS, reports that a Connecticut police officer has pled guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death in a 2021 crash that killed a second officer.
Court documents indicate that 37-year-old Robert Ferraro of East Haven, Connecticut agreed to plead guilty to his role in the fatal crash that killed a 35-year-old officer in September of that year.
Ferraro and five other officers who were in town on vacation rented a Rolls Royce for their visit to the city.
According to the report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Ferraro was drunk when he lost control of the rented car at the intersection of Decatur Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road. The vehicle rolled, then collided with a parked car in the driveway of a residence waiting to enter the street.
The Rolls Royce then collided with several utility poles, trees, and a fire hydrant before coming to a rest.
Officers with Metro Police responded to the scene of the crash and pronounced the 35-year-old officer, who was a passenger in the front seat, dead at the scene. Ferraro and the four other officers in the vehicle suffered only minor injuries.
An investigation showed that speed was an additional factor in the crash. Police say that the Rolls Royce entered the intersection traveling at a high rate of speed. The suspension on the vehicle bottomed out, sending sparks flying from the undercarriage and triggering the rollover crash.
At the time of his arrest, investigating officers noted that Ferraro had watery eyes and smelled strongly of alcohol.
Ferraro was placed on administrative leave while the New Haven Police conducted its own investigation in cooperation with Las Vegas Metro Police. At the time of the report, New Haven officials would not state whether Ferraro would be able to keep his job.
A judge in Clark County, Nevada, has set Ferraro’s sentencing date in November. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison and would be ineligible for probation.
