PUTNAM, Conn. — A community continues to mourn following a deadly crash in Montville that killed a mother and son from Norwich.
Connecticut State Police identified the two as 33-year-old Jamie Krajewski and 17-year-old Tyshon Harper.
“It’s just hard to talk about. Just a tragic situation. We lost them two. Their hearts were just so full of life, they shouldn’t be emptied yet," said Roland Krajewski, Jamie's brother and Tyshon's uncle.
The crash happened late Friday night on I-395 northbound in Montville.
State Police said two cars were pulled over on the shoulder of the highway, one of them disabled and the other one Jamie’s.
Then, police said a third car crossed over into the shoulder and hit those other two cars, as well as Jamie and Tyshon who were standing outside.
“Jamie was such a hard, devoted working mom. She worked two or three jobs at a time as a single mom," said Roland. "Always the protector of the family. Kind of always pulled us all together, especially when times where it’s needed.”
In a tribute on Facebook, the W.P.T.P. Junior Football League remembered Tyshon, a graduate of the league, as "a standout athlete for WPTP and a player any coach would love to have. If you ever played with/against Tyshon or even just been a spectator at one of his games, you certainly would have heard, 'LETS GO CHUBBY' coming loud and often from his mother Jamie after every play, big or small, and there were a lot!"
“He was just such a kind, loving kid, a role model, grew up without a father figure and he was a father figure to his own brothers and sisters," said Roland.
The family is now mourning as two loved ones were ripped away in a matter of seconds and four kids are now without a mother and brother, including Javon Harper.
“We’re all devastated but I know what my mom would want, she’d want me to take care of my siblings," said Javon.
As the family processes the pain, they're reflecting on the lessons learned from the mother and son.
“They told me that giving isn’t something that should be thought of, it should just be something that’s done," said Alonzo Henries, Tyshon's cousin.
State Police continue to investigate what led up to the deadly crash.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family.
Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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