HARTFORD, Conn. — The Hartford Police Department is investigating after two people were killed in a crash Wednesday morning.
Hartford police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said the two pedestrians were pronounced dead at the scene.
The two pedestrians were identified as Corey Richmond, 36, of New Haven and Steve Famiglietti, 49, of Hartford.
The driver, later identified as Billy Hamilton, 30, of Vernon, reportedly was driving at a "high rate of speed" northbound on Blue Hills Avenue when the crash occurred, police said. The driver then struck a telephone pole.
Boisvert said Hamilton stayed at the scene before he was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
Boisvert called the scene "horrific."
"It’s concerning. It was a horrible accident," Boisvert said.
Famiglietti was a manager of the Eleanor A. Brooks Blindness Support Center, according to the non-profit organization Oak Hill.
"Steve was a fixture of the Oak Hill Community for nearly 20 years, pioneering our digital accessibility program and teaching others how to use adaptive technology," Oak Hill said on its Facebook page. "Steve's absence will be sorely felt by all who knew him."
Hamilton was arrested and charged with two counts of reckless driving and two counts of 2nd-degree manslaughter.
"It is an area where you have to be very careful at that intersection," said Hartford resident Lester Swain. "Lately, I’ve been very attentive as to the traffic because a couple of times I went out and from the light it’s very bad. People take off fast."
"Especially since we are going into the holidays, slow it down," Boisvert said. "We always encourage people not to text and drive. Be aware of your surroundings."
A portion of Blue Hills Avenue remains closed off as the investigation continues.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Jareliz Diaz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jdiaz@fox61.com
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.