NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The city of New Haven is continuing work to curb illegal street racing as police investigate a deadly weekend crash involving a tractor trailer that may be linked to the issue.
New Haven police responded to the intersection of Foxon Boulevard and Middletown Avenue Saturday morning at 3:29 on a report of a two-vehicle collision. On arrival, officers found a black BMW that crashed into the passenger side of a tractor trailer. The crash resulted in a fire that caused significant damage.
Police said the driver of the black BMW was a 22-year-old from New Britain who was pulled from the vehicle by a good Samaritan. The victim was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured in the crash and is cooperating with investigators.
“We are investigating whether there is any connection to this crash with reports of illegal street racing. If we establish a link between the two, we will be looking to make arrests of any involved individuals," said New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
Mayor Justin Elicker said there is video of the incident that shows two cars, one of them the BMW, lining up and slowing down next to each other before speeding up.
"It appears to be an instance of street racing on a street, Route 80, that has that kind of problem and has for quite a long time," Elicker said. "It's a real problem in New Haven and a lot of other cities."
The mayor said the city is working to address the issue through enforcement with cameras and stop sticks, as well as installing speed humps at various problem spots.
"There's a lot of hobbies and interests people have. You should choose a hobby or interest that doesn't hurt other people, doesn't disrupt other people, and doesn't put other people at risk. It's very selfish of people to be doing these kinds of things," said Elicker.
The New Haven Fire Department responded to the scene and was able to extinguish the fire. The Connecticut Department of Emergency and Environmental Protection also responded to the scene to assist.
Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and X.
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