A 25-year-old Hartford man pleaded guilty this week to driving into and fatally injuring a woman as she crossed Albany Avenue in Hartford, then fleeing and later lying to police.
Kayvon Cook cried as he entered his guilty pleas Tuesday in Superior Court in Hartford. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he faces two to five years in prison and five years of probation in exchange for pleading guilty to evading responsibility and making a false statement to police.
Cook was behind the wheel of a white Chevrolet Malibu that was headed west on Albany Avenue near Garden Street about 10:45 p.m. Sept. 5, 2018. Chante Tucker, 47, was struck and thrown more than 100 feet. She died hours later at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.
Police found the car in the driveway of Cook’s home, and others in the car eventually identified him as the driver. The car was not insured, and Cook did not have a license at the time of the crash. He was arrested Sept. 21, 2018.
Tucker was struck after she ran into the roadway in front of the 2010 Malibu Cook was driving, according to police.
At the sentencing, public defender Laura Bryll will be able to argue that Cook deserves less time in prison. Prosecutor Sharmese Hodge is expected to seek the full five years. She told Hartford Superior Court Judge Laura F. Baldini that Tucker’s daughter was troubled that Cook initially blamed her mother for the crash, and that he tried to pin responsibility on someone else.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 17.
David Owens can be reached at dowens@courant.com.
