A 73-year-old New York City man was struck and killed by a car on East Main Street in Torrington just after 9:30 p.m. Thursday, and as of Friday evening no charges had been filed against the driver as investigators work to determine exactly where the pedestrian was crossing. Joel Leyden was pronounced dead at the scene near 1902 Main Street, according to police.
Police say Carlos Giotto, a 54-year-old Torrington man, was driving a 2019 Subaru eastbound on Main Street when it struck Leyden. As reported by News12 Connecticut, Giotto stayed at the crash site and has been cooperating with the investigation. Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact the Torrington Police Department at 860-489-2000.
The Torrington Police Department opened Case #2600030203 to investigate the crash and closed East Main Street, also known as Route 202, between Torringford Street and Torringford East Street for several hours while setting up traffic detours. A central question for investigators is whether Leyden was inside a marked or unmarked crosswalk when he was hit, since Connecticut law assigns fault differently depending on that detail.
What Connecticut Law Says About Crosswalks
Under Connecticut General Statutes § 14-300, drivers are required to yield the right-of-way and slow down or stop for pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks, with fines of up to $275 for a first-offense failure to yield. But under a related statute, § 14-300b, a pedestrian who crosses a roadway somewhere other than a marked crosswalk or an unmarked intersection crosswalk is instead required to yield to vehicles. Which of those standards applies to Leyden's crossing remains part of what the Torrington Police Department's Accident Investigation Team is working to reconstruct.
Leyden had recently surfaced in an unrelated Connecticut Department of Public Health docket dated August 10, 2026, involving the Fernwood Rest Home in neighboring Litchfield, according to CT.gov records, suggesting he had recent ties to Litchfield County just days before his death. Litchfield borders Torrington directly.
A Volunteer Who Had Fallen On Hard Times
Leyden was more than a passerby in Connecticut. In October 2024, FOX61 reported that he was an Israeli Defense Forces reserve officer who founded the COVID-19 advocacy group Vaccine Angels, which helped Connecticut residents secure vaccine appointments during the pandemic. That same report detailed that Leyden had been experiencing homelessness in the state after his overseas funds were frozen amid the Middle East conflict.
A Corridor With A Troubled Safety Record
The stretch of East Main Street where Leyden died sits within a heavy commercial strip anchored by Torrington Plaza and large retailers including Target, according to Connecticut Department of Transportation corridor study records. Local traffic safety assessments cited by The Register Citizen have identified Route 202 as one of the top five most crash-prone roadways in Torrington.
The crash also lands within a broader statewide pattern. Preliminary Connecticut Department of Transportation data released in March 2026 showed seven pedestrian fatalities statewide in early 2026, following 65 pedestrian deaths in 2025 and 62 in 2024. Separately, Watch for Me CT reported that Connecticut recorded 441 crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists in 2026, resulting in 16 pedestrian fatalities and 69 serious injuries. Federal Highway Administration crash records also show that 87% of all traffic fatalities in Connecticut occur in urbanized or suburban corridors, compared with 58% nationwide.
No charges had been filed against Giotto as of Friday evening, and police have not said when the investigation is expected to conclude.
