Driver In Plainville Avenue Crash Had Prior DUIs

The driver of the truck that reportedly on Plainville Avenue Sunday has two prior convictions for drunk driving, according to the state judicial website.

Phillip Gruby, 30, of 75 Missal Ave., Bristol, was allegedly drunk at the time he crossed the center lines and hit the family’s Honda, then tried to flee the scene of the accident, according to police. He made it a few hundred feet, police said, before his tire fell off and his truck came to a stop.

He was charged with second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, evading responsibility in a serious injury, failure to drive right and operating under the influence. He was also charged with operating under suspension because his license had been suspended due to a prior DUI arrest.

He was held on $50,000 surety bond and scheduled to appear in court Dec. 12. The case was continued to Dec. 20.

Police said Monday that the Honda's driver, a father from New York, remained in critical condition at Hartford Hospital. The other three passengers, a mother and two young children, were treated and released.

According to the Connecticut Judicial Branch website, Gruby has two prior convictions for alcohol-related motor vehicle crimes. He served 30 days in jail for driving under the influence in January of 2004, two days for driving under the influence in May 2003.