Infiniti driver hits man checking mailbox, leaves scene, say authorities

A Connecticut resident was crossing the road to check his mailbox when he was fatally struck by a car, with the driver fleeing the scene, as reported by authorities.

Andrew Hitchcock, 66, faces charges of leaving the scene in a deadly accident, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime. 

It is expected that he will agree to a plea bargain and receive his sentence in the near future, The News-Times stated, naming the victim of the fatal collision as 65-year-old Michael Rieve.

On September 22, 2025, Rieve was crossing Nashville Road, where he lived in Bethel, Connecticut, to collect his mail when a white Infiniti G37 struck him. Authorities claim Hitchcock was driving home from his job when he hit Rieve and failed to stop or call for emergency assistance.

The driver of the Infiniti allegedly drove off, leaving Rieve lying injured for about 10 minutes until another driver noticed him and called for help.

Bethel Police Department officers arrived at the location around 8 p.m. and quickly determined that the man was hit by a vehicle traveling northbound that left before their arrival. 

Rieve received transportation to a nearby hospital and then transferred to another facility, where he was declared dead the following day.

According to the arrest warrant issued for Hitchcock, a Tesla parked at Rieve's house captured the incident and the escape of the Infiniti on its camera. A side mirror left at the scene appeared to match the car observed in the footage.

Investigators later secured surveillance video from a gas station nearby showing a car passing by with an "unusual light," hinting that the headlight might have been broken. 

As police canvassed the area, they "found a vehicle fitting the suspect's description, showing damage and markings aligned with the crash," they added.

The vehicle was "impounded, and a warrant for search was obtained, which led to further testing confirming it was the car that collided with the victim," authorities noted. 

According to court documents, Hitchcock was taken into custody on December 6, 2025.

Hitchcock was freed on a $75,000 bond. During a Monday court session, Hitchcock's lawyer mentioned that an offer had been made by prosecutors, and he plans to discuss it with his client, according to The News-Times.

The defendant is expected to appear in court again on June 1.

Rieve's memorial commemorates him as a sailor who had just started golfing, a volunteer with the Bethel Fire Department, whose "biggest joy in life was cherishing his family, particularly his grandchildren."