A Connecticut woman intentionally drove into a river with her special-needs son, causing them both to drown, police said this week.
Investigators determined that the July crash that killed Connie Crowell, 54, and her 22-year-old son, Jack, was a murder-suicide, the Monroe Sun reported Wednesday.
The tragic incident took place on July 31, 2020, when Crowell plunged her SUV into the Housatonic River, sinking in about 16 to 20 feet of water.
The vehicle ended up floating upside down about 75 yards from the riverbank, Fox61 reported at the time.
A massive rescue effort unfolded, involving divers and dozens of firefighters, who tried to gain access to the car, but ultimately were unable to save the mother and son.
During a months-long investigation, police discovered that a boater in the area saw the SUV go into the water and rushed to help, according to Seymour Deputy Police Chief Roberto Rinaldi.
“The boater made numerous attempts to rescue the occupants of the vehicle,” Rinaldi said.
“However, Connie Crowell refused to acknowledge or accept the boater’s assistance and rescue efforts.”
It’s unclear why Crowell would have intentionally driven into the river.
She was known in the area for being active at the local high school and for her involvement with the organization Alcohol and Drug Awareness of Monroe.
A local schools superintendent, Joseph Kobza, told the Sun he had worked closely with Crowell when he was principal of Masuk High School.
“She volunteered her time, pretty much my whole time at Masuk,” Kobza said. “She was one of the driving forces in coordinating our forum on underage drinking.”
Her son, John Crowell, known as “Jack” to family and friends, graduated from the high school in 2017.
“Everybody loved Jack,” Kobza said. “He was always happy, always smiling. He just brightened up everyone’s days.”