NORTH HAVEN, CT — A 21-year-old University of New Haven student from Stony Point, New York, died late Friday, Oct. 16, after a wrong-way driver hit his car head-on on I-91 south near Exit 9, Connecticut State Police said. Four others were hurt in the four-vehicle crash.
Troopers Were Called at 11:43 p.m.
Troopers from Troop I in Bethany were called at about 11:43 p.m. Friday for a report of a wrong-way driver near Exit 9. The vehicle was already involved in a multi-car head-on collision when troopers arrived, police said.
State police identified the wrong-way driver as a 30-year-old Bridgeport man. He was driving a Chevrolet Silverado north in the southbound lanes and was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries.
The student was driving a Honda Accord south in the left lane, and police said he died at the scene. He was a criminal justice major at the university and interned with the New York City Police Department last summer.
After the head-on impact, the Accord moved into the left-center lane and was hit by a Jeep. It then moved onto the right shoulder, where a GMC SUV struck it. The Jeep's driver and front passenger suffered minor injuries. Reports differ on the SUV driver's injuries: WFSB reported serious injuries, while NBC Connecticut and Patch described them as minor.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation assisted with road closures, and the roadway has since reopened.
The University of New Haven confirmed he was a current student. His academic adviser, Lorenzo Boyd, said in a statement that he was an avid sports fan who hoped for a career in public service. "He was engaging in the classroom and will be missed greatly," Boyd said. The university's club men's ice hockey team, which the university said he helped lead as a senior captain, canceled its Saturday game against the University of Delaware.