Man Accused of Crashing SUV, Killing Marine, Appears in Court

NORWALK — A 25-year-old man accused of being intoxicated when he crashed an SUV in Westport last December that resulted in the death of his passenger, a U.S. Marine home on leave, appeared briefly in state Superior Court in Norwalk Wednesday.

Matthew Robert Packer stood beside his Westport attorney, Andrew B. Bowman, while Bowman requested the case be continued to March 31, which Judge Bruce Hudock granted.

Packer, who lives in Manhattan, is charged by Westport Police with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle and driving under the influence of alcohol for allegedly causing the death of 24-year-old Charles M. Rochlin of Westport, who was home after serving in Iraq.

Police say Packer was operating a Jeep Grand Cherokee early on the morning of Dec. 27 on Greens Farms Road when he drove into a tree.

An affidavit police prepared to obtain an arrest warrant for Packer says a sample of his blood drawn in Norwalk Hospital and tested at the state's toxicology lab determined his blood-alcohol content was 0.21. By state statute, a driver is guilty of drunk driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 or above.

The affidavit says an examination by an assistant state medical examiner found Rochlin died of "multiple blunt traumatic injuries," including lacerations to his liver, a torn aorta, and separation of his brain from his spinal cord. His manner of death was listed as "accident."

Through an extensive number of interviews, the affidavit says, Westport detectives determined that from late Saturday night on Dec. 26 until early the following morning, Rochlin and Packer drank alcohol at Westport establishments Black Duck Café on Riverside Avenue and Dunville's Restaurant on Saugatuck Avenue, before going to the Sherwood Diner on Post Road East.

The affidavit says Packer told officers at the scene of the crash he was a passenger in the rear seat of the SUV, and didn't know who owned it or was driving it.

An examination of the Jeep by the State Police, according to the affidavit, determined anyone sitting in the rear, passenger-side seat would have had considerable injuries and most likely would have been pinned in the car. The troopers also allegedly found that someone sitting behind the driver would have been sprayed with Rochlin's blood, which was not found on Packer's clothing or body.

Police determined the Jeep belonged to Dorothy Packer of 106 Long Lots Road. The affidavit gives that as Packer's address, but a news release issued by Westport police says his address is 378 Third Ave., Apt. 3A, New York City.