Connecticut state pol Quentin Williams, wrong-way driver were both drunk in fatal crash: report
A Connecticut state representative and a wrong-way driver were both drunk behind the wheel when they were killed in a fiery crash just hours after the politician’s swearing-in ceremony in January, according to officials and state police.
State Rep. Quentin Williams, 39, a Democrat from Middleton who had just been sworn into a third term, died on the morning of Jan. 5 as he was heading home from Gov. Ned Lamont’s inaugural ball in Hartford.
Williams’ Infiniti Q60 burst into flames after it was struck head-on by 27-year-old Kimede Mutafaj driving her Toyota Corolla the wrong way on Route 9 in Cromwell around 12:45 a.m.
The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found that both Williams and Mustafaj died from blunt trauma to the head and torso.
Mustafaj, of Manchester, had a blood-alcohol level that was nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08, according to a toxicology report obtained by local media.
Mustafaj also had THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in her system, the report says.
Authorities have placed full blame for the deadly crash on Mustafaj.
State House Speaker Matt Ritter and House Majority Leader Jason Rojas announced to a closed-door Democratic caucus Wednesday that Williams’ blood-alcohol content was over the legal limit of 0.08 at the time of his death.
Ritter said he learned of Williams’ toxicology test results from state public safety commissioner, James Rovella.
According to Ritter, he had not seen the report and it wasn’t clear what exactly Williams’ blood-alcohol level was, but he said he decided to address the issue with his caucus because he did not want its members to read about it on social media, reported CT Insider.
The full accident report was not yet publicly available and may take up to one month to be released pending a review.
Ritter said the revelation does not take anything away from Williams’ reputation as a dedicated public servant and rising star in Connecticut politics, who previously served as the Middletown city treasurer and Planning and Zoning commissioner.
“He was an incredible person and his legacy is, you know, to us … the same legacy that he created and established … with the work that he did in Middletown and for the state of Connecticut,” Ritter said.
Williams’ tragic death was met with an outpouring of support from his fellow lawmakers, with the governor ordering flags in the state in to be flown at half-staff and leading the tributes to his fellow Democrat.
“This is devastating news, and I am incredibly saddened by this tragedy,” the governor said in a statement at the time.
“Quentin had an infectiously optimistic personality, and he absolutely loved having the opportunity to represent his lifelong home of Middletown at the State Capitol. Public service was his passion, and he was always advocating on behalf of the people of his hometown.”
Williams, known affectionately as Q, grew up in public housing in Middletown and later became the first African American to represent his hometown in the General Assembly.
With Post wires
