Easton police have identified the driver and passenger of a 1995 Jeep Cherokee submerged in a pond Sunday morning in front of Christ Church on Route 59 and Church Road. The driver, Jesus M. Roman, 35 of Easton, and passenger, Amy L. Rockwell, 45, of Newtown, were found dead in the Oct. 8 incident, according to Easton police.
The Easton Police Department Dispatch Center received a 911 call Sunday, Oct. 8 at about 6:39 a.m. from a passerby reporting a vehicle in the pond on Stepney Road (Route 59) near Church Road. Easton police and fire department personnel arrived on scene and discovered the Jeep was partially submerged in water and was found tipped onto the driver’s side, police said.
Upon further investigation, Easton police and fire personnel found two occupants in the vehicle, who, upon extrication, were pronounced deceased on the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was summoned to the scene to assist. Further, the Fairfield Police Crash Reconstruction Team responded to assist in the investigation.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the SUV was traveling west on Route 59 when it crossed over the double yellow line, crossing the driveway to Christ Church. At one point the vehicle became airborne, subsequently coming to final rest on its driver’s side in the pond just outside the church property and parallel to Route 59, according to the report.
There were no signs of braking during the collision sequence, and the SIV was the only vehicle involved in the collision, police said. The vehicle did not strike any object other than grass and pond shrubbery, and there were no signs of foul play. A specific timeframe of the collision is unknown at this point but is expected to have occurred in the overnight hours, according to the report.
Police Chief Richard Doyle said the vehicle went up an embankment before it entered the pond. “We don’t know what speed it was traveling,” he said. “We don’t know the time frame. The engine was cold when we arrived. We are asking for help from the public. If anyone from the intersection of Route 25 and Route 59 to the scene of the accident has camera or doorbell video, we would like to see it.”
The cause and manner of death is under investigation pending results from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
