KILLINGLY — Police are searching for an evading suspect after they initiated an impromptu highway race and caused a fatal crash Friday.
Connecticut State Police say Shauna Julian-Trombley, 20, of Thompson, was traveling at a high rate of speed around 2:30 p.m. before crashing and being thrown from her vehicle.
According to witness statements, the victim and another driver were racing down I-395 in Killingly when the second vehicle abruptly entered her lane of travel. The maneuver caused Julian-Trombley to over-correct and lose control of her vehicle.
The victim struck a wire rope guard rail, just north of the Soap Street overpass, before going airborne into the median. Her vehicle continued in a southerly direction before tipping and rolling several times. As the vehicle spun, Julian-Trombley was ejected along the southbound median and instantly killed. The car kept sliding on its roof until it finally struck one of the overpass support beams along the northbound travel lanes.
A passenger in the deceased victim’s vehicle was partially ejected, but managed to exit the vehicle using her own power.
The second driver immediately sped away following the collision, continuing to travel southbound on the highway.
Police are asking the public to be on the lookout for a newer-model, silver-colored sedan, possibly a Honda. Anyone with information on the crash is urged to contact the Connecticut State Police Troop D at (860) 779-4900 ext. 2052.
