Hartford Accident: Man Pleads Guilty Following Year-Long Trial

  • Editorial Team
  • feature
  • 25 September 2025

Construction work is full of threats that keep haunting the workers every day when they leave for work. Yet they keep working to meet their end needs. 

Do you think that it really is the case that safety couldn’t work at the construction workplace? Well, the proper safety measures are there to avoid such hazards, but unexpected events do arise out of nowhere.

Sometimes, people neglect to practice the safety measures that lead them into an unpleasant incident; however, sometimes you get hit by others’ negligence. This is more scary.

One such accident happened in Hartford in June 2024, which has shaken the entire community due to the severe consequences. After a year of long legal trials, the man has pleaded guilty. What has happened in this time? Let’s get into the details.

Who was held guilty in Hartford Superior Court?

Tommy Nguyen, a 26-year-old Connecticut resident, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter before a Hartford Superior Court judge on August 26, 2025. After months of legal back-and-forth and substantial evidence from prosecutors and police, he reached a plea agreement. Other charges, such as operating under suspension, reckless driving, and endangering children, were dropped in exchange for his plea. In contrast to the original 18-year sentence, Nguyen is anticipated to serve seven years in prison and then be placed on probation.

The agreement spares Nguyen from a drawn-out trial, but it also leaves it up to the sentencing judge this October to decide his fate. Until then, his $500,000 bond keeps him free. The plea is a step toward justice for the family of the deceased construction worker, Jose Diaz-Nieves, 54, but no sentence can make up for their loss.

How did the collision destroy the workplace?

The collision of the vehicle was so harsh that it destroyed the workspace. It happened on the 14th of June, 2024, in the afternoon. 

The police report and the witnesses said the Nguyen’s car was at high speed and entered the worksite where workers and the operator of the backhoe loader for sale were working, which made the collision worse. 

We can imagine from this event that the construction workers along the site might be following the safety measures, but the outsider hit the site and made a collision. 

In this unfortunate accident, a five-year-old child lost his life along with another passenger, named Diaz-Nieves. He was injured so badly that he couldn’t survive to the hospital.

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