New York Man Charged Following Fatal Connecticut Canoe Accident

A New York man has been charged with operating a boat under the influence following a Connecticut canoe accident that claimed the life of a 20-year-old college student earlier this year.

Michael Collins of New York was arrested in March 21 accident on lake Hayward in CT. Photo courtesy CT Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Michael Collins, 20, of Mineola, New York, turned himself in to Connecticut authorities on Friday, July 10. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection charged him in connection with the March 21 accident on Lake Hayward in East Haddam.

According to state officials, Collins and Dominick Tocci, 20, of Woodstock, Connecticut, had consumed alcohol before taking a canoe onto the lake that night. At approximately 9:50 p.m., the canoe overturned, throwing both men into the water.

A nearby resident heard calls for help and used a paddleboat to assist Collins, who was taken to a hospital and later released. Tocci could not be located that night, prompting an extensive search involving marine units, drones and a Middletown-based dive team.

Search crews recovered Tocci’s body from the lake on the afternoon of March 23. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined that he died from accidental drowning.

Tocci was a political science student at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. His family remembered him as an enthusiastic athlete and sports fan who hoped to become a lawyer.

The charge arrives as boating-safety officials continue reminding paddlers that canoes, kayaks and other small watercraft are still considered boats under state law. Alcohol can affect balance, coordination, judgment and reaction time—abilities that become especially important while operating a small, unstable vessel at night.

Collins was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on July 23. The charge is an allegation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.