Darrel Galorenzo: Vermont dad pleads guilty to death of son, 2, who he left to drown after he crashed his car while drunk

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READSBORO, VERMONT:  Vermont father pleaded guilty on March 4, for the death of his toddler son, who drowned in a Massachusetts brook in 2023 after the father abandoned the scene of car crash while the child was in tow.

Prosecutors claim that on April 8, 2023, Darrel Galorenzo crashed his Subaru Crosstrek early on Middle Road in Clarksburg. Galorenzo was driving a vehicle after consuming alcohol.

Darrel Galorenzo sentenced to 9-15 years in state prison for manslaughter

While fleeing the collision on foot, Galorenzo lost his two-year-old son in the nearby Hudson Brook. Not long after, rescue workers discovered the child in the water. 

Galorenzo entered a guilty plea to the charges of manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, and endangering the safety of a child while operating under the influence when he appeared in Berkshire Superior Court on Monday, March 4, as reported by the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office.

Galorenzo's charge of conspiring to break drug laws was also dropped by the prosecution.

The DA's office released a press release after Judge John Agostini sentenced Galorenzo from Readsboro, Vermont, to nine to fifteen years in state prison.

Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue called the case "horrific" and stated that Galorenzo's actions were the direct cause of his son's death in a statement made after the plea.

“I will spare the public … the traumatic details of the incidents that led to a two-year-old child’s death, which included first surviving a car crash then ultimately drowning on a cold, dark night in a river rushing with melting snow,” Shugrue said, as reported by Boston.com.

“However, I wish to express that this is one of the most tragic cases I have seen in my almost 40 years of practicing law,” the Judge said. 

Berkshire District Attorney criticized Darrel Galorenzo

According to Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue, Galorenzo "failed at this cardinal task," and children should be protected. He prioritized his needs and well-being over his child's safety. The toddler's mother was contacted by the DA after Monday's hearing, he added.

“I shared my sincerest condolences, but I recognize my words most likely bring little comfort to her devastating loss,” Shugrue went on to say. “As a parent myself, I cannot imagine the deep sadness she is experiencing.”

He also mentioned the effect on the first responders and prosecutors involved in the case, such as the trooper from the Massachusetts State Police who repeatedly dove into the water that morning in an attempt to save the boy.

“I am certain that every person who dedicated themselves to this case will be haunted by it for the remainder of their lives,” Shugrue further added.