Connecticut Man Pleads Not Guilty in Newport DUI Homicide Case

Dylan Galland, a 49-year-old East Windsor, Connecticut man, stood before a Newport court last Friday and entered not guilty pleas to three felony charges connected to a December crash that killed a 25-year-old Sullivan County woman, identified by the surname Wendt in a Newport Police news release.

A Sullivan County Grand Jury indicted Galland on Feb. 25 on charges of DUI negligent homicide, DUI aggravated collision with serious injury, and negligent homicide. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Wendt died of "multiple blunt force injuries," according to a Dec. 8 Newport Police news release.

The affidavit supporting the charges describes police observing Galland at the scene with "watery eyes, slow, thick and slurred speech and strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person."

Galland's attorney, Richard Guerriero, offered a brief characterization of the case. "It's a tragic accident," Guerriero said in a phone interview.

No bail conditions, next court dates, or prosecutorial comment appear in available court records. The case remains in early procedural stages following Friday's arraignment, with the three felony counts now formally before the court.