NORTH HAVEN — One driver died and four other people were hospitalized after a wrong-way collision involving four vehicles on Interstate 91 late Friday, October 16, according to a Connecticut State Police accident summary released Saturday.
Troop I responded around 11:43 p.m. to reports of a wrong-way driver near Exit 9 on I-91 south. Before troopers arrived, a Chevrolet Silverado traveling north in the southbound lanes struck a southbound Honda Accord head-on, police said.
The Accord then moved into the left-center lane and was struck by a Jeep Grand Cherokee, before moving into the right lane and shoulder, where a GMC Terrain struck it, according to the preliminary investigation.
Police identified the Accord’s driver as Ryan Dennis O’Shea, 21, of Stony Point, New York. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The summary states that next of kin had been notified.
The pickup driver was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. The Jeep’s driver and front-seat passenger were taken to Yale New Haven with minor injuries, and the GMC driver was taken to St. Raphael’s Hospital with minor injuries, police said. These are the conditions reported in the initial summary; subsequent hospital updates were not available in that release.
The State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad is assisting with the investigation. The summary does not establish why the pickup entered the wrong-way lanes or announce charges.
Investigators ask anyone who traveled through the area at the time, particularly drivers with dashcam footage, to contact Trooper Patrick Miko at Troop I in Bethany, 203-393-4200, referencing case 2600322957. The initial overnight closure notices do not establish the highway’s current status; travelers should check CTroads for current conditions.