Flying-Porsche Driver Enters Remediation Programs

A Rowayton investment fund manager whose airborne Porsche crashed into a house got a judge's approval Wednesday to participate in two state programs that could lead to the dismissal of criminal charges against him.

Russell M. Stidolph, 35, of 19 Bluff Ave., was granted the approvals after pleading guilty in state Superior Court in Norwalk Wednesday to the infraction “traveling too fast,” for which he agreed to pay a $90 fine plus court costs.

Judge Bruce P. Hudock granted Stidolph accelerated rehabilitation and entry into the state’s alcohol education program after listening to his attorney, Eugene J. Riccio, describe the efforts Stidolph has made to make amends for the Nov. 19 incident.

Following the crash at 24 Highland Ave., police said Stidolph’s 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera sailed nearly 42 feet over the front lawn of a house before crashing into its front porch, causing major structural damage.

“I imagine it must have felt like the San Francisco earthquake,” Hudock remarked.

The woman who owns the house was asleep at the time and not injured. Firefighters had to extricate Stidolph from his wrecked car.

Stidolph is managing director of AltEnergy L.L.C. at 137 Rowayton Ave., a private equity firm he launched in 2003 which focuses on alternative energy sources.

On Jan. 3, Norwalk Police arrested Stidolph on a warrant, charging him with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, failure to obey a stop sign, failure to use a seat belt, and traveling unreasonably fast.

In a sworn affidavit Norwalk Police Officer James B. Mosher submitted to obtain an arrest warrant for Stidolph, he said blood and urine samples obtained from the defendant in Norwalk Hospital indicated he had a blood-alcohol content equivalent of 0.204. State law says a driver is under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol content at or above 0.08.

Riccio said Stidolph has paid almost $80,000 to repair the house, and the owner has agreed to him getting probation and alcohol education rather than being further prosecuted. He said the woman’s property is safer than before, because Stidolph paid to heighten the stone wall he crashed through before striking her house.

Riccio said Stidolph will be reminded of the crash whenever he shaves because he has scars on his face resulting from his injuries.

Accelerated rehabilitation is a special form of probation for first-time offenders not charged with a serious felony who a judge finds are unlikely to offend again. The defendant does not enter a plea and, after successfully completing court-ordered requirements of probation for up to two years, may request that charges be dismissed.

Riccio said Stidolph is married and has children, and “deeply regrets” what occurred. Handing a report forward to Hudock, Riccio said he had his client evaluated for an “alcohol problem.” After reading it, Hudock said it indicates Stidolph’s psychotherapist doesn’t think he has a “chronic problem.”

Hudock ordered Stidolph to participate in the alcohol education program for a year, and his probation under accelerated rehabilitation to last two years. He said the defendant’s participation in alcohol education would include evaluation and potentially treatment for substance abuse.

Explaining his reasons for agreeing to the defense’s requests, Hudock told Riccio he was interpreting the case “in a light most favorable to your client.”

The incident “could have been more devastating,” Hudock said, but the homeowner was not objecting to the proposed disposition of the case and the defendant has been “extremely open and up-front” about what happened.

Hudock concluded by telling Stidolph if alcohol was controlling him and not the other way around, there are substance abuse services available.

Assuming Stidolph conforms to the requirements he agreed to and isn’t arrested over the next two years, his participation in the alcohol education program will end March 2, 2012, and his probation will end March 4, 2013.