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West Hartford police search for driver who hit, killed 89-year-old woman

Police said the vehicle involved in the accident may be a white sedan.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — A woman has been killed after a hit-and-run in West Hartford on Tuesday evening. 

Police said shortly after 5 p.m., West Hartford police responded to a report of a car vs. pedestrian traffic accident near the intersection of Boulevard and Whiting Lane. When they got to the scene, medical care was given to the victim but despite life-saving efforts, they suffered fatal injuries as a result of the collision. 

Eugenia Yurovsky, 89 of West Hartford has been identified as the victim.

The vehicle that hit Yurovsky left the scene and hasn't been found. Initial investigation suggests that a white sedan was involved.

The West Hartford Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team is still investigating the incident.  

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Police said they're asking for community members and visitors to provide information related to this incident.  Residents along Boulevard between South Quaker Lane and Prospect Avenue are encouraged to provide any doorbell or video surveillance footage that may show a light-colored sedan with front-end damage, or any vehicle that may have been involved in this collision. 

Police ask that any drivers who traveled through the area of Boulevard and Whiting Lane that have in-car camera systems provide them with information that matches the descriptions.  

Police also are trying to identify and speak with passengers that may have been riding on CT Transit bus #69 (Capitol Avenue Route) on Tuesday around the time the collision happened.

Christiana Vickrey of West Hartford said she frequently walks dogs in the area of Boulevard and Whiting Lane.

“I think everyone’s in a rush and not really paying attention to their surroundings—there could be a dog or a person there,” she said. “I am very mindful of when cars are speeding, making sure the dogs are not close to the road because you know, everyone’s life is precious, and we want to make sure everyone’s coming home at night.”

Mayor Shari Cantor urges drivers to slow down and pedestrians to watch and wait for traffic—even in designated crosswalks. She said police have been stepping up enforcement and the engineering department has been actively working on safety improvements—like potentially adding a raised sidewalk in the area of the crash.

“We put a diverter in. We don’t allow cars to go across Boulevard from Whiting Lane—there is a school there, so that did cut down on vehicular accidents. We know that from our data. But you still have people speeding on Boulevard,” Cantor said.

With motor vehicle and pedestrian crashes on the rise across Connecticut, town officials recently appropriated 100 thousand dollars to study every accident. Cantor says the hope is to then use federal infrastructure money on additional improvements. 

“Making plans to make permeant improvements on certain roads and infrastructure changes,” she added.

About 70 pedestrians have been killed to date in 2022—nearly double what it was a decade ago, according to officials at the DOT-sponsored Watch for Me CT.

“Something happened with COVID where people started speeding, very, very fast; more often. There’s more aggressive driving, rage driving, and pedestrian deaths have just skyrocketed. This year is a new record. It’s probably the highest in decades,” said Amy Watkins of Watch for Me CT. “Slow down. Everybody needs to slow down. If you’re driving the speed limit, you’re better able to slow if there’s any kind of emergency.” 

Police ask that if any member of the public has any information regarding this incident, contact the West Hartford Police Department at (860) 523-5203, or use the WHPD Tip Line/email at (860) 570-8969 / whpdtips@westhartfordct.gov.

Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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