Great Barrington — A Connecticut man who police say injured a woman and destroyed property in front of Town Hall in a December hit and run, was today (March 30) given a July 29 jury trial date in Central Berkshire District Court in Pittsfield.
Dylan Winters, 24, of Canaan, was arraigned last December in Southern Berkshire District Court and charged with three counts of leaving the scene of a property damage accident, one count of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, and one count of negligent operation of a motor vehicle after his gray 2007 Subaru Legacy, heading northbound crossed the two southbound lanes of Main Street (Route 7) and hit a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk in front of Town Hall, leaving her bleeding from her head, according to Great Barrington police.
Amy Smith, 24, of Medford, Mass., was airlifted to Hartford Hospital “with possible internal injuries, severe lacerations,” and was released the following day (December 19) in stable condition “with no serious injuries.”
Winters’ car also destroyed two cement park benches valued at $1,000, and seriously damaged two cars parked in front of Town Hall: a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta valued at $30,000 and a 2013 Nissan Altima worth $25,000, according to the report.
It is still unclear what made Winters lose control of his car just before 7 p.m on December 18. The preliminary police report stated that a witness observed a gray car with no headlights and “heavy front-end damage” leave the scene and head south on Main Street. The driver, said the witness, had gotten out of his car before getting back in and driving off.
Smith’s boyfriend, with whom she had been walking at the time, said the car came up on the sidewalk from behind, according to police. In addition to the benches and cars, police say Winters’ car also hit a tree and the stone monument in front of Town Hall. Officers said they found a piece of Winters’ bumper with the license plate attached, and traced the plates to Winters with an address in Otis, the home of his stepfather.
Soon after the accident a witness called police saying she saw a “dark colored car smoking” as it traveled up Taconic Avenue.
Winters turned himself in to Great Barrington Police that night, declaring, “I was the one who hit the girl on Main Street.” His parents had brought him to the station after he had abandoned his car, he said, at Sheffield Pottery on Route 7.
Police say Winters told them before the accident, he had been on his way to an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting. He said he last remembered passing the police station on Route 7 before waking up with his airbag inflated, realizing he had just had an accident. Police say he also told them that he fled the scene because he “did not want to get into trouble.”
The accident was under investigation by Great Barrington Police and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit, which will not release reports until after a case has been prosecuted. A surveillance video from Wheeler & Taylor Insurance across the street from Town Hall is part of the evidence, as are Winter’s car and cell phone.
Great Barrington Police Chief William Walsh did not return phone calls Monday (March 31) inquiring about the case.
