CLAREMONT — A judge in Claremont District Court on Monday ordered the Connecticut man accused of killing a 25-year-old Sullivan County woman in a drunk driving crash on Friday to be held without bail, pending a probable cause hearing later this month.
Dylan Galland, 49, of East Windsor, Conn., faces charges of negligent homicide and aggravated driving while intoxicated.
Galland, who was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, is alleged to have crossed the centerline, striking a Jeep Wrangler driven by Ashley Wendt, 25, of Washington, N.H., head-on.
Galland told police he sometimes consumes 20 drinks per week. His blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was .20, well above the legal limit of .08, Hersh said.
He appeared wearing orange in a WebEx video from Sullivan County jail in Unity.
After hearing arguments from Galland’s public defender and from the prosecutor, Judge Justin Hersh determined that there was probable cause that releasing him would “endanger the community and yourself.”
Hersh expressed “serious concerns” about Galland’s ability to refrain from consuming alcohol and to refrain from driving after consuming alcohol, given his habits as he described them to police following Friday’s crash.
The charges stem from a fatal crash that took place on Friday afternoon on Maple Street in Newport. The Jeep rolled over and Wendt, who police said was driving home after leaving work at Dunkin Donuts in Sunapee, died at the scene.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found that Wendt died of “multiple blunt force injuries,” according to a Monday news release from Newport Police.
The truck belongs to a friend of Galland’s who lives in Newport, with whom he was staying, according to the affidavit in the case.
Galland was initially transported to Valley Regional Hospital for treatment for minor injuries before being transferred to jail in Unity.
In arguing for Galland’s continued detention, Sullivan County attorney Molly Lovell argued that there was probable cause that Galland would be a danger to the community and to himself if he were to be released.
She noted that he made jokes to officers he spoke with after the collision, acknowledged to the police that he had looked down at his phone for directions, was driving in the middle of the road, exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph and that he was feeling a buzz from bourbon he had consumed prior to driving.
The affidavit in the case notes that at the scene police observed Galland exhibiting signs of intoxication: “watery eyes, slow, thick and slurred speech and strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person.”
Lovell also said Galland, an Air Force veteran, suffers from “mental health issues” and there are concerns he will attempt to “kill himself.”
His estranged wife, Danielle Galland, told police that he suffers from an alcohol addiction. He also has two traumatic brain injuries. She told police he has “not been the same since” they were in a car crash together years ago. She told police he has recently attempted suicide.
In addition, Lovell said there are concerns that Galland could be a flight risk, given his recent travel to Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines, and his communication with TikTok models there.
Galland’s public defender Amanda Natoli argued that he could “remain safely in the community” with certain restrictions in place.
Aside from a recent vacation to the Philippines, with layovers in Hong Kong and Taiwan, she said there was no indication that he would be a flight risk. He would agree to live with his mother in Springfield, Mass., not drink alcohol, attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and enroll in counseling through the Veterans Administration.
She pointed to his lack of prior criminal history and said his joking with police occurred before he realized Wendt had died at the scene.
Hersh set Galland’s probable cause hearing for Dec. 16 at 1:30 p.m. in Newport District Court.
The Newport Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit are continuing to investigate the crash. Those with information about it are encouraged to contact Newport Police at 603-863-3232.