I covered an emotion-charged presentation at Seymour High School April 25 by North Branford resident Lynn Riordan who lost her son, Matt Picciuto, to a car crash in May 2009. He was 18.
Riordan wrote the above poem in her son's voice.
She started Matt's Mission, an organization that helps needy students in the community as well as organizations. Riordan and her supporters coordinate a 5K road race in Matt's memory each year in North Branford to raise money for Matt's Mission Fund.
SEYMOUR >> Police on Friday identified the man killed in a
fiery one-car accident earlier this week as 51-year old Mark Beers of
Southbury.
Lt. Paul Satkowski in a press release issued Friday said a
positive identification was made following an autopsy by the state’s
chief medical examiner’s office.
Beers resided at 158 Quaker Farms Road.
“Manner and cause of death has been determined to be multiple blunt force trauma caused from the accident,” Satkowski said.
Satkowski said the accident, which occurred Sept. 4 on Rimmon Road, also known as Route 313, remains under investigation.
“The accident remains under investigation pending toxicology
results which are expected to take several weeks to complete,” Satkowski
added.
The accident occurred around 10:45 p.m. Satkowski said Beers’
Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was found off the side of the road, crashed
into a tree, engulfed in flames.
A preliminary investigation revealed the truck was pulling a
small landscape trailer, and traveling west on Rimmon Road. For unknown
reasons, Satkowski said the driver “failed to negotiate a curve in the
roadway, causing the vehicle to drive off the right side of the roadway,
up a wooden embankment and striking a tree nearly head on.”
SEYMOUR >> A 51-year old Southbury man was killed in a fiery, one-car crash late Tuesday.
According to Lt. Paul Satkowski, Seymour police are continuing an
investigation into the fatal accident that occurred around 10:45 p.m.
on Rimmon Road, also known as Route 313, near the Woodbridge town line.
Satkowski said police, along with the Seymour Fire Department and
Seymour Ambulance Association, arrived on the scene and found the
vehicle on the side of the road, crashed into a tree and on fire.
“Upon arrival, responding officers located a single motor vehicle
off the side of the roadway crashed into a tree resting on a wooded
embankment, fully engulfed in flames,” Satkowski said in a prepared
statement Wednesday.
Satkowski said the vehicle sustained significant damage. He said
preliminary reports from an eyewitness reported the driver of the
vehicle was still inside, and possibly trapped.
“First responders were unable to get near the vehicle due to the
intense heat and flames of the fire,” Satkowski said. “Once the fire was
extinguished, the remains of a human body were located inside of the
vehicle.”
Satkowski said the identity of the driver likely won’t be
released until an autopsy is performed Thursday by the state Medical
Examiner’s Office. However, he said a “tentative identification” of the
driver had been made.
A preliminary investigation revealed the vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma
pick-up truck, was pulling a small landscape trailer, and traveling
west on Rimmon Road. For reasons unknown at this point, Satkowski said
the driver “failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway, causing the
vehicle to drive off the right side of the roadway, up a wooden
embankment and striking a tree nearly head on.”
Satkowski further added “upon impact with the tree, the vehicle
immediately burst into flames. The operator, who was the sole occupant
of the vehicle, was unable to escape the vehicle and was burned beyond
recognition and therefore pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Satkowski said traffic had to be re-routed around the crash scene for several hours Tuesday night following the accident.
The accident remains under investigation by the police
department’s Accident Reconstruction team. Satkowski said assistance
during the incident was provided by the Seymour Fire Marshal’s Office,
the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Connecticut State Police
Collision Analysis Reconstruction Squad.
SEYMOUR >> Police responded to a fatal car accident involving
one vehicle at about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday on Rimmon Road near Clinton Road
and the Woodbridge line.
Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes due to Rimmon
Road, otherwise known as Route 313, being closed Wednesday morning as
police continue to investigate the scene.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Robert
Bartram, 92, was exiting a driveway onto Walnut Tree Hill Road when the
Honda he was driving collided with a Mazda driven by Julie Hall, 24, of
Shelton, Lt. Robert Kozlowsky said in a release.
Hall received minor injuries.
The accident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. Monday on Walnut Tree Hill Road near Short Street.
The Fire Department and EMS were also
sent because it was reported that one person was unable to get out of
the vehicle due to the damage to the door, Kozlowsky said.
Kozlowsky
said Bartram was extricated from his vehicle and did not have any
visible injuries. He was conscious and communicating with personnel at
scene, but was transported to the hospital after complaining of chest
pain.
The Shelton Police Traffic Division Reconstruction Team is
still investigating the motor vehicle accident, Kozlowsky said Tuesday.
Any witnesses or persons with additional information may call the Shelton Police Traffic Division at 203-924-1544.
SHELTON - Police have identified the motorcyclist who died late Monday afternoon in a motor vehicle accident as Brian C. Laneuville, 24, of Seymour, Detective Sgt. Kevin Ahern said today in a written release.
The operator of the other motor vehicle has been identified as Noreen Labranche, 54, of Seymour. She reported no injuries, police said.
Although there is an ongoing investigation into the crash a preliminary investigation shows both vehicles were southbound on River Road, the release said.
The collision occurred at the driveway to the Riverdale Diner. No arrests have been made.
Anyone who may have been a witness to the crash is asked to call the Shelton Police Traffic Division, 203-924-1544.
SHELTON — A 24-year old motorcyclist died late this afternoon after the bike collided with another vehicle on River Road (Route 110), police said.
At approximately 4:20 p.m. today police received multiple 911 calls reporting a motor vehicle versus motorcycle crash in the area of the Riverdale Diner, 521 River Road, Detective Sgt. Kevin Ahern said in a written press release.
Police and Shelton EMS responded.
A 24-year old male who was operating the motorcycle was transported to the Bridgeport Hospital Trauma Center where he was later pronounced dead, Ahern said.
The Shelton Police Accident Reconstruction Team is conducting an investigation. No other details are available.
The name of the victim is not being released pending notification of family, the release said.
Route 110 is reduced to one lane in the area and there are delays. Police are asking the public driving in the area to use alternate routes.
