MANSFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) — State police are looking for witnesses after a UConn grad student was struck and killed in Mansfield Tuesday night.
State police said around 5 p.m. a woman was driving westbound on South Eagleville Road, approaching the intersection on Eastwood Road, as Nhuong Nguyen, 29, was crossing South Eagleville Road.
The Mansfield Fire Department said the driver of the car and Nguyen were transported to Windham Hospital. Nguyen later died from his injuries.
UConn released a statement Wednesday, saying:
The UConn community is deeply saddened to learn that one of its students, Nhuong Nguyen, died Tuesday night from injuries he received a result of a collision near campus in which he was a pedestrian.
Nhuong was a talented researcher who was pursuing his Ph.D. in computer science and engineering in the UConn School of Engineering. The University has been in contact with his family in Vietnam and will reach out to his friends, classmates, and faculty colleagues to offer support.
We send our sincere condolences to all who have been affected by this tragic incident and join Nhuong’s family and friends in grieving his passing.
– Stephanie Reitz, spokeswoman for the University of Connecticut
Route 275 in the area of Eastwood Road was shut down due to the investigation but has since reopened.
News 8 was the only crew on the scene when State Police returned to South Eagleville Road on Wednesday.
“I saw the line of cars and someone standing in the road doing what looked like to be CPR or something so I knew it was a pretty bad accident that happened,” Kevin Lindstrom, a senior at UConn, told News 8. “It’s really sad to see that the student passed away and I would hate that to happen to anyone else.”
Lindstrom said his friend was hit while in the same crosswalk two weeks ago as he rode his bike across the road.
“Thankfully he was okay. His bike was destroyed but in this area, there needs to be a lot of lighting because people drive very quickly and you just can’t see anyone at night,” explained Lindstrom.
State Police put up a drone Wednesday to get a better view from above of the accident scene during the day. Lindstrom says there should be more signage and lights to alert drivers that someone is crossing.
“It would be a really cheap investment to have flashing crosswalks for pedestrians and cyclists just to make sure that, you know, at night there’s something that’s distracting to drivers to get their attention,” said Lindstrom.
In addition to being back on the scene, State Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact them.
State police say there haven’t been any other major accidents on the road and the investigation will determine if charges will be filed.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone witnesses to the crash are asked to contact Troop C at (860)-896-3200.