Jury sees evidence in fatal truck crash case
Cooper Ouellette faces charges for the 2023 death of Sophie Ringquist, who was struck and dragged by his vehicle in Burlington.
By Leila Mansour ·
A jury began hearing evidence on Thursday in New Britain Superior Court regarding the 2023 death of Sophie Ringquist. The defendant, Cooper Ouellette, pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the fatal incident that occurred in Burlington.
Court documents detail a sequence of events following a fight at a party on the night of May 20, 2023. Ouellette, who was 19 at the time, allegedly kicked Ringquist, then 17, to the ground and shoved her against his truck. Witnesses told police that he later struck her with the vehicle while she was still alive.
Investigators reconstructed the aftermath using surveillance footage, cell phone tracking data, and social media posts. Snapchat photos taken by Ringquist at 11:38 p.m. showed her crying with a bloody nose. State police indicated that Ouellette stopped his truck on Locust Road, where Ringquist exited the vehicle before being struck and hit again.
According to officials, Ouellette returned to pick Ringquist up. Near Fieldview Drive, she reportedly fell from the truck onto the road. Surveillance video showed Ouellette accelerating and veering right, striking her a second time. He then dragged her body back into the vehicle and waited eight minutes before driving to her home.
Ringquist’s parents rushed her to an emergency room, where doctors pronounced her dead from her injuries. Ouellette has since turned 21 and stands before the court for the first day of his trial.
The prosecution relies on digital evidence and witness accounts to establish the timeline of the accident and the defendant’s actions in the hours following the initial altercation.
