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Background: News footage of the March 6, 2023, crash that killed Chelsy Torres and Noah Rodriguez (News 12 New Jersey). Inset (left): Solomon Valentine (Bridgeport Police Department). Inset (top right): Chelsy Torres (GoFundMe). Inset (bottom right): Noah Rodriguez (Funeraria Luz de Paz).
A man from Connecticut has been sentenced to over ten years in prison after a tragic collision that claimed the lives of two individuals, including a young child.
In February, 42-year-old Solomon Valentine entered a no contest plea to charges including two counts of first-degree manslaughter, as well as second-degree assault and reckless driving. On Tuesday, he received an 11 1/2 year prison sentence for his role in the fatal crash that took place in March 2023, resulting in the deaths of 24-year-old Chelsy Torres and her 4-year-old nephew, Noah Rodriguez.
CTpost reported that Torres was traveling with her sister Ashley Aquino, Noah’s mother, and his younger brother Noel, who was just 2 at the time. The sisters were en route to finalize a lease for a new apartment where they planned to live together with their children.
According to prosecutors, Valentine was traveling at a speed of 74 miles per hour when he collided with the family’s vehicle on March 6, 2023. The family’s car was halted at a red light in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Prosecutors described Valentine’s driving as reckless, stating he treated the road “like his own personal racetrack,” showing no intention of slowing down or stopping.
Torres was declared dead at the crash scene. Noah was transported to the hospital by air, but tragically succumbed to his injuries days later. Aquino and her son Noel also sustained injuries. Speaking to News 12 New Jersey, Aquino expressed her relief and gratitude for Noel’s survival, saying, “He definitely is a miracle child. I was scared that I was going to lose both my kids, and he proved me wrong.”
Aquino told CTPost after the sentencing, “Having to explain to a 5-year-old that the urn in our living room is his brother is very traumatic. Memories are all that I have. I lost the two most important people in my life.”
Torres’ other sister, Destiny Agramonte, started a GoFundMe for the baby girl Torres left behind, writing, “That girl is part of her and she’s what we have left.”
Valentine was also injured in the crash and was brought to a nearby hospital, where he left against medical advice. While he was there, his blood tested positive for PCP and cannabis. He was arrested eight months after the fatal crash. He read a statement in court in which he apologized to the family of the loved ones he killed.