A teenager driving on a tree-lined road in rural Connecticut lost control and collided into a tree Tuesday afternoon, killing four high school students and placing another in critical condition, authorities reported.
Three of the victims were declared dead at the location in Griswold, located about 40 miles southeast of Hartford, stated state police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance. Another was transported to a hospital and passed away shortly after.
The survivor remains in the hospital in critical condition, he added. It is not certain whether the driver died as well. Police are not making their names public until families are aware of the tragedy.
The teens were all students at Griswold High School and included a senior, three juniors and a sophomore, reported Philip Anthony Jr., first selectman of Griswold, a town of about 12,000.
“It’s a traumatic tragedy from anyone’s perspective,” he stated. “This is a small, close-knit community and we are officially in mourning. The grief is felt throughout the community.”
Griswold School District Superintendent Paul Freeman would not speak on the subject Tuesday.
Investigators are working to find what the underlying factors were in the crash whether it be speed, alcohol or distracted driving, Vance said.
The crash followed one day agter officials had a news conference as part of Teen Safe Driving Awareness Week to emphasize new requirements that they are valuable to safety.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell had came up with a task force to enforce stricter laws on teen driving, which laws passed in 2008.
Among the laws were changing driving curfew to 11 p.m. and doubling the amount of behind-the-wheel training required for teenagers.
There were six fatal accidents in Connecticut involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers in 2009, the lowest in 12 years.
Tags: crash, fatal, teens, tree
