Farmington Man Dies in I-84 Tractor-Trailer Crash

James Christopher Hannan, 22, of Farmington, died after a predawn crash on Interstate 84 East in Middlebury, according to Connecticut State Police. Troopers said Hannan was driving a 2013 Chrysler 200 Limited when it struck the rear of a 2016 International tractor-trailer near the South Street bridge between exits 16 and 17. The crash happened at about 3:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, police said. Trinity EMS took Hannan to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, where he was pronounced dead, according to police. ### Where on I-84 did the crash happen? Middlebury was the site of the collision, on the eastbound side of I-84 near the South Street bridge between exits 16 and 17, state police said. WTNH reported troopers from Troop A responded to a report of a two-car crash at that location shortly before 4 a.m. The eastbound lanes were affected during the emergency response, and the crash scene included damage to about 100 feet of median guardrail owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, according to the Patch report citing state police. (patch.com) ### What did police say happened? Connecticut State Police said Hannan was the driver and lone occupant of the Chrysler. (patch.com) According to the preliminary investigation described by police, both vehicles were traveling in the center lane when the Chrysler, for reasons not yet determined, hit the rear of the tractor-trailer. WTNH reported that the tractor-trailer and the passenger car were both moving eastbound in the center lane when the second vehicle rear-ended the first. (patch.com) State police said the collision remains under investigation. ### Who else was involved? A 63-year-old New Jersey man was driving the tractor-trailer and was not injured, according to Connecticut State Police as reported by Patch. (patch.com) Police did not identify him by name in the publicly available accounts reviewed. Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury received Hannan after Trinity EMS transported him from the highway scene, police said. (wtnh.com) State police also said Hannan’s next of kin had been notified. ### What agencies responded to the scene? Troop A troopers responded to the crash report, according to WTNH. Connecticut State Police also deployed the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad to assist the investigation, Patch reported. (patch.com) The state police accident information portal and DESPP records pages say crash summaries are made available through the agency’s reporting system, subject to state restrictions and access rules. (patch.com) ### What are investigators asking from the public? Trooper James Perazzella is asking anyone who witnessed the collision to contact him at 203-267-2200 or by email at james.perazzella@ct.gov, according to state police statements carried by Patch and WTNH. (wtnh.com) Police have not released a cause and said the investigation is continuing. Connecticut State Police said the next step is the continuing crash investigation by troopers and the reconstruction unit. (portal.ct.gov) Witnesses with information can contact Perazzella while the case remains open, police said. (patch.com)