RI truck driver sentenced to 6 months in prison for fatal crash on I-395

Sept. 26 — A Norwich Superior Court judge on Thursday sentenced a Rhode Island man to six months in prison and three years of supervised release for his 2021 decision to stop a tractor trailer in the left lane of Interstate 395 in Griswold.

That decision cost the life of Bianca Rodriguez, a 29-year-old from Brooklyn, Conn., who family and friends say lit up a room with her personality and touched the lives of everyone around her.

The prison sentence given to Johnni Evangelista, 54, was the maximum allowed under a plea agreement with prosecutors that prevented a trial in the case. Evangelista pleaded no contest to a charge of misconduct with a motor vehicle, a felony charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

On the afternoon of September 15, 2021, Evangelista was traveling southbound on I-395 in Griswold when he slowed and stopped before passing under the Route 164 overpass in the area of ​​exit 22.

Evangelista told state police he wasn’t sure if his truck would fit under the 13-foot, 10-inch-high overpass because it was a new route for him, and he stopped as a precaution. Rodriguez, who was traveling in the Nissan Rogue behind the truck at an estimated speed of 80 mph before braking, crashed into the back of the tractor trailer. Rodriguez was killed instantly.

In a detailed analysis by state police of the crash, investigators determined that the stopped tractor trailer created “an emergency situation with a high probability of causing a serious collision.”

“It is likely that the speed of the Nissan Rogue did not contribute to the occurrence of the collision,” the report concluded.

New London County Assistant State’s Attorney Adam Scott, who prosecuted the case, said the crash was clearly a tragedy but could have been prevented. Evangelista said he shouldn’t have driven that tractor trailer on that highway if he didn’t know the route.

Norwich Superior Court Judge Arthur C. Hadden said Evangelista did not intend to cause death, but his decision to stop on the highway amounted to “criminal negligence.”

“The result was a horrific accident that claimed the life of an extraordinary individual,” Hadden said.

Emotional statements from family and friends before the sentencing brought many people in the courtroom to tears. Rodriguez’s younger brother, Robert Rodriguez Jr. of Montville, said “the colors in the world aren’t as bright” without his sister.

“When you think about what an ideal person would be, someone who is selfless, someone who is empathetic and compassionate, someone who loves, someone who exhibits all of those things to their fullest — that’s just the kind of person that is,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

“If you could meet him and talk to him, I’m sure you would love him,” he said.

Rodriguez’s mother, Enid Rivera, said her daughter was a stubborn and headstrong woman who worked to get into college, loved helping people and helped keep the family together.

Rodriguez graduated from Montville High School in 2010 and earned degrees and certificates from Three Rivers Community College, Quinnipiac University and Manchester Community College while working. He volunteered in nursing homes and hospitals, and most recently was working as a surgical technician. He volunteered on medical missions in places such as Ecuador and Jordan.

At the time of the accident, Rodriguez was engaged to be married.

Gene Riccio, who represents Evangelista, called the accident a “horrible, terrible tragedy” and one that Evangelista deeply regrets. He said Evangelista, who wore a neck brace at Thursday’s sentencing, suffered physical injuries and mental health issues as a result of the accident.

“He made a mistake,” Riccio said. “Trying to do the right thing was a mistake.”

Evangelista is scheduled to begin his prison sentence on December 5.

Evangelista and Needham, Mass. based in Lily Transport Corp., the company Evangelista was driving at the time of the crash, is owned by Robert Rodriguez Jr., the administrator of his sister’s estate. They were named in a civil lawsuit filed by . Attorney Gerard McEnery is representing Rodriguez’s family in the case, which is being heard in New Haven Superior Court. The trial of the case is scheduled to begin next month.

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