NEW LONDON, CT — A woman from Essex has been arrested in connection with a deadly crash that took place last November near the New London Shopping Center.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:45 p.m. on November 3, 2023, at the intersection of Colman and Vauxhall Streets.
Police and fire personnel responded to the scene and found two sedans and a motorcycle involved in the collision.
Four individuals were transported to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. The motorcyclist, identified as 45-year-old Curtis Barkdull of Sturgis, South Dakota, sustained the most severe injuries. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Following an investigation, authorities arrested 35-year-old Stephanie Belval of Essex on Monday. Belval faces charges of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, speeding, and following too closely. She was held on a $25,000 bond.
Belval is scheduled to appear in court on April 14.
The arrest concludes a months-long investigation by New London Police into the crash. The collision occurred near a busy entrance to the shopping center and involved multiple vehicles during the evening rush hour. No additional injuries were reported as fatal beyond Barkdull.
The investigation was conducted by the New London Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Team.
