A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to killing another man while drunkenly driving the wrong way on Interstate 95 last year.
Troy Bree, a 58-year-old Groton man, admitted to second-degree manslaughter, first-degree reckless endangerment and motor vehicle misconduct, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported Wednesday. His sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 28.
Bree was arrested in the death of 47-year-old Mark Palumbo, who was killed in the Oct. 9, 2024, wreck in Westbrook. Palumbo was driving south on I-95 when he collided head-on with Bree, who was driving north in the southbound lanes, police said.
After the collision, Palumbo was found unresponsive at the scene, while Bree was alert but apparently drunk, according to investigators. Bree told responding officers he had three mixed vodka drinks at dinner, authorities said.
Surveillance video from a bar in Essex showed Bree consuming five drinks before he got behind the wheel, cops said. His blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.22, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08, and he failed a field sobriety test, according to police.
After initially being charged with DUI and reckless driving, additional charges including second-degree manslaughter and first-degree reckless endangerment were added in March. Bree faces up to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter charge under Connecticut’s sentencing guidelines.