It was a deadly weekend on the roads with several crashes across the state. That includes one that took the life a 14-year-old girl in Shelton.
“She was our beacon for everything. She was an amazing little girl,” Valentine Philoche said.
Memories are being held close for the family of 14-year-old Chloe Ramsubhag. They’re grieving after she was killed in a crash early Sunday morning on Route 8 in Shelton.
Her 10-year-old brother is finding it difficult to process.
“It’s just hard not to think about her all the time. Like last night, I couldn’t really go to bed,” Jeremiah Mayes said.
State troopers say the car Chloe was in was struck from behind by a Honda van. It pushed them into opposing traffic where the car was struck again.
Philoche, Chloe’s aunt, is still reeling from the shock of losing her niece.
“She was just a wonderful little human. She deserved everything,” she said.
That crash was one of several deadly accidents that happened that same day. Two people were killed on I-84 in Danbury in the morning.
A pedestrian was struck and killed on Silas Deane Highway in Rocky Hill later in the evening.
Just after that, one person died on I-84 in Farmington, causing the interstate to shut down in both direction for hours.
The state Department of Transportation said this was a bad weekend for crashes with some factors at play.
“It’s dark earlier, a lot of commuting happening, a lot of people out and about, when it’s pitch black out, even though it’s only 6 o’clock at night,” Josh Morgan, director of communications for the DOT, said.
The DOT said there were 321 road deaths last year on Connecticut roads. That’s down from 2022 where the state saw more than 360 deaths, but up from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, which saw 250 deaths.
“Historically speaking, we see that 30% of our fatalities in Connecticut can be attributed to speed. Another 30 to 40% can be attributed to impairment,” Morgan said.
Chloe’s family said the string of deadly crashes is unacceptable and they’re urging drivers to make responsible decisions on the road, so everyone is able to make it home safely.
“Be careful of what you’re doing, especially in small cars. Just be careful of what you’re doing,” Mayes said.
Philoche said the family has received thousands of dollars in donations from the community to help pay for funeral expenses. They’re planning to hold a vigil in Waterbury on Jan. 26.
