Fascendini Enters ‘Not Guilty’ Plea in Fatal February Hit-and-Run

A 46-year-old Plainville man and his defense attorneys are fighting charges stemming from a police investigation that revealed he was involved in a hit-and-run accident on Queen Street that killed one and critically injured two others.

Court officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Edward Fascendini has entered a not guilty plea to charges stemming from the Feb. 12 accident. The Plainville man appeared only briefly in Bristol Superior Court before entering the plea through his lawyer.


Fascendini, of Whiting Street in Plainville, is facing charges of misconduct with a motor vehicle, a class D felony, and three separate counts of evading responsibility in an accident.

Southington police arrested the 46-year-old in May following an intense and extensive investigation into an accident on Queen Street on Feb. 12.

Police said the accident, which occurred just days after a blizzard left high snow banks along the road, left Hong “Rita” Yang and Liu “Emily” Huai, both 23 seriously injured, as well as killing 23-year-old Yan Qiao “Joanne” Chen.

Yang and Huai have since been released from the hospital but are continuing to recover from their injuries, police said.

According to a police report, the three women were walking south along Queen Street after leaving their jobs at Gobi Mongolian Grill when Fascendini allegedly struck them with his white Dodge pickup truck. He proceeded to flee the scene, police said, heading north along Queen Street and leaving the women lying in the roadway.

Police initially had no leads after conducting several interviews with motorists, but a tip eventually helped move the case in the right direction. Forensic evidence led police to obtain a warrant for search and seizure and eventually led to Fascendini’s arrest.

Fascendini remains in state custody. He was on parole at the time of his arrest.

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