A tragic three-vehicle crash on Interstate 84 early Sunday morning claimed the lives of two Danbury residents, Connecticut State Police have confirmed. The victims were identified as Ronald Omar Tello, 27, and Carlos Jimenez Molina, 36, both of Danbury.
The crash occurred around 6:30 a.m. when a 2008 Hyundai Tiburon, driven by a 21-year-old woman from Jamaica, New York, became disabled in the left lane of I-84 West. According to police, the Hyundai had initially struck a guardrail on the right shoulder of the highway, leaving it facing oncoming traffic in the left lane.
Police reports suggest that one of the passengers exited the vehicle and was standing nearby when the crash occurred. Tello was reportedly a pedestrian at the time, while Jimenez Molina remained in the Hyundai. The dangerous positioning of the disabled car set the stage for a fatal sequence of events.
A 2021 Lexus RX, driven by a 55-year-old Avon man, approached the scene as a 55-foot Frontliner Cascadia tractor-trailer traveled in the adjacent right lane. The Lexus struck the Hyundai, causing it to spin into the path of the tractor-trailer. This secondary collision proved fatal for Tello and Jimenez Molina.
The driver of the Hyundai suffered minor injuries, while the drivers of the Lexus and the tractor-trailer were unharmed. Following the crash, westbound lanes of I-84 were shut down for hours as authorities conducted an extensive investigation.
As of now, no charges have been filed. State police are working to piece together the circumstances that led to the deadly crash. Witnesses or anyone with dashboard camera footage are urged to contact Trooper Ilias Bistolas at 203-267-2280 or via email at Ilias.Bistolas@ct.gov to aid the investigation.
The incident has left the Danbury community in mourning as residents grapple with the loss of two lives. Authorities are determined to uncover the full details of the crash and are calling on the public to help bring clarity to this heartbreaking situation.