Expert disputes cause of death in trial
A medical examiner told jurors that Sophie Ringquist’s crushing injuries could not result from a simple fall, challenging the defense's account of events.
By Julia Wang ·
Dr. Gregory Vincent told the jury on Friday that 17-year-old Sophie Ringquist died from crushing injuries that a simple fall from a moving truck could not cause.
Vincent, an associate medical examiner with the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, testified that the injuries to Ringquist's head and face were consistent with being run over by a tire. He explained that a fall from a vehicle traveling at 20 miles per hour would not produce the specific damage Ringquist suffered because there are no two opposing forces to create such crushing trauma.
The medical examiner detailed the physical evidence found during the autopsy. He noted abrasions on the right side of Ringquist's head, hemorrhaging on the surface of her brain, and damage to her teeth. These findings stood in contrast to the defense's narrative that Ringquist fell out of the truck and died from the impact with the ground.
Cooper Ouellette, 21, of Harwinton, is on trial in state Superior Court in New Britain. He faces charges of manslaughter and delivery of alcohol to a minor. Ouellette was arrested in July 2024 and is currently out on a $50,000 bond. The incident occurred in May 2023 after Ringquist left an underage drinking party in Terryville.
Police body-worn camera footage played for the jury showed Ouellette's account of the night. He stated that Ringquist opened the truck door while the vehicle was moving because she needed to throw up. According to the arrest warrant, Ouellette stomped on the gas pedal, causing Ringquist to fall. He allegedly dragged her back into the truck and later ran over her during an abrupt stop.
State police accident reconstruction trooper Spencer Bronson testified that the pickup truck was traveling between 13 and 15.8 miles per hour when Ringquist separated from it. Bronson reported finding no evidence that Ringquist was struck by the truck or its rear tire, a finding that complicates the prosecution's theory of how she died.
The trial continues Monday with further questioning of the medical examiner. On Friday, jurors also heard Ouellette's initial reaction to the news of his girlfriend's death. Footage from Detective Tyler Botas showed Ouellette crying hours after the accident on May 21, 2023.
