Hartford Driver Who Ran Down Five Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison

Nov. 27--HARTFORD -- A man who ran down five people walking on a sidewalk at Ann Uccello Street and Asylum Street more than two years ago, then backed the car over two of the seriously injured people as they lay in the street, was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison, plus eight years of special parole.

The five young people hit by Heriberto Barreto, 29, at 1 a.m.Aug. 26, 2011, were downtown celebrating a birthday.

They were young professionals who had done nothing wrong and were not looking for trouble, prosecutor Robin Krawczyk told Hartford Superior Court Judge Joan K. Alexander. In fact, Krawczyk said, the five had crossed the street to avoid a group of people who appeared to be spoiling for a fight.

A white Toyota Camry with Barreto behind the wheel suddenly veered out of control on Ann Uccello Street, hit a fire hydrant, knocking it 35 feet, then plowed into the five people, Krawczyk said. Bodies flew everywhere.

Barreto did not stop to assist the people he had just hit, Krawczyk said, but put the Toyota into reverse so he could get away. In the process, he backed over two people who had been thrown into Asylum Street, Jeffrey York, 28, and Amanda Blong, 29.

The car was owned by Barreto's brother, Irving Barreto, who with a friend lied to police in order to cover for Heriberto Barreto, saying the car had been stolen, Krawczyk said.

Hartford crime scene detectives impounded the car and collected evidence such as the air bag, which had blood on it, and later obtained a DNA sample from Heriberto Barreto. Eventually, the DNA on the airbag was matched to Barreto and, in April, he was arrested on three counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second degree assault and evading responsibility after causing serious injury.

York told Alexander that being hit by the car began a two-year ordeal that put him in Hartford Hospital, then into a rehabilitation hospital for six weeks. He had to learn to walk again and continues to suffer pain in his back from the crash, he said.

York suffered multiple fractures to his pelvis, head injuries, a broken back, scrapes and cuts. As he recovered from those injuries over the past two years, he said he and the others hurt that night were frustrated that the man responsible did not step forward to accept responsibility.

He urged Alexander to send Barreto to prison for a long time.

Barreto's lawyer, Bill Gerace, told the judge that Barreto had only a minor criminal record, had worked his whole life, has three children and was a productive member of society. He asked the judge to send him to prison for less than the 15 years the prosecutor sought.

Barreto apologized to those he hit -- two of his victims were in the courtroom -- and asked them to take pity on him. "You guys get to go home," he said, looking toward York. He wouldn't be going home, he said, and he was worried about where his kids would be for Christmas.

Alexander called Barreto a coward whose crimes were made more serious by his refusal to step forward and take responsibility.

The most seriously injured suffered severe financial losses because Barreto has no assets and the car had minimum insurance, lawyer Jeff Kline told the judge. The most seriously injured victims have outstanding medical bills in excess of $50,000, he said.

This story has been updated to reflect new information about who was run over a second time. A police report indicated Quinton Simmons and Amanda Blong were run over twice, bit was actually Blong and Jeffrey York who were struck twice.

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