An external review into the Town of Groton Police Department following a 2024 motor vehicle crash that took the life of a 14-year-old boy, cleared the department of wrongdoing and noted that officers followed all department policies and procedures during the investigation, according to the report released by the department on Friday.
The review, conducted by Daigle Law Group, was launched after the department received a complaint filed by the crash victim’s father. The review included 123 case and incident reports and 48 body-worn camera recordings, as well as interviews with law enforcement personnel involved in the response and investigation of the crash.
The fatal crash, which took place on Oct. 24, 2024 on Fishtown Road, took the life of Carson Wilson, a 14-year-old Groton resident and student at Saint Bernard School in Montville, and left three others seriously injured. The then-17-year-old driver was accused of driving under the influence and later arrested and charged with of two counts of first-degree assault and one count each of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, misconduct with a motor vehicle, operation by person under 21 years of age while blood alcohol content exceeds two-hundredths of one percent, speeding, failure to drive in proper lane, reckless driving, failure to wear safety belt (passenger) and violation of operator requirements by 16/17-year-old.
Police: Teen charged with manslaughter, DUI in fatal Groton crash that killed 14-year-old passenger
Chris Wilson, the boy’s father, filed a Civilian Complaint Form to the town manager on July 16, 2025, alleging that the Town of Groton Police Department failed to conduct a timely accountable investigation into the motor vehicle crash. Wilson also claimed that police did not adequately pursue “known leads related to underage drinking, including alcohol provided by local businesses, house parties involving minors, and adult involvement, despite being made aware of these issues.”
According to the report, witnesses told investigators the group allegedly attended multiple parties in Mystic, Uncasville and East Lyme the day of the crash. During the external investigation, Chris Wilson referenced photos he received from his son’s phone, which allegedly showed the group drinking at multiple locations throughout the night of Oct. 13, 2024.
When questioned, all of the individuals involved in the crash declined to speak with police, according to the report.
The report also shows that, during the initial investigation, police broadened the scope to determine how alcohol was obtained.
“In addition to witness statements, (police) reviewed medical records, autopsy findings, surveillance video showing the vehicle minutes before the crash, scaled crash diagrams, and crash data downloads,” the report says, concluding that the department “followed all established department policies and procedures and pursued all investigatory leads available.” The findings also said that police properly investigated the crash and the circumstances leading up to it.
In his complaint, Chris Wilson also alleged that body-worn camera footage during the crash showed callousness on behalf of the Town of Groton Police Department. In the complaint, Wilson alleged that a supervising officer is heard laughing while at the crash scene. Further, he alleged that Town of Groton Police Department Chief L.J. Fusaro made a sarcastic remark at the crash scene, characterizing this conduct as unprofessional and dehumanizing. Wilson alleged that Fusaro said at the scene “yes, stationary object doesn’t go anywhere” in reference to his dead son.
According to the report, portions of the recorded audio from the bodycam footage, along with analysis of the audio, “were obscured by background noise, overlapping dialogue and active scene operations.” The report also stated that these conditions limited the ability to definitively isolate certain words or phrases. The report also concluded that that the context of Fusaro’s comment was not in relation to Wilson’s son.
During an interview with lawyers, Fusaro reportedly said the comment was not intended to be dehumanizing, sarcastic, dismissive or insensitive in any manner. He described the remark as a factual observation made while assessing the collision that involved a vehicle that struck a large, immovable tree.
“We acknowledge the profound tragedy caused by the October 2024 motor vehicle crash,” Fusaro said in a release on Friday. “Our agency cooperated fully with the investigation, and we accept the findings contained in the report released today with legally required redactions. While we know that no investigation or report can lessen the grief on the family, the Town of Groton and the Groton Police Department remain steadfast in our commitment to professionalism, accountability, transparency and compassion.”
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [email protected].