Two people were killed in a crash in New Haven on Sunday as police were trying to pull over the stolen car they were in, state police said.
The collision occurred as the driver of a 2019 Hyundai Elantra was heading north on Whalley Avenue and approached the Harrison Street intersection where the vehicle left the right side of the road and struck a tree in front of the Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel Synagogue shortly after 4:50 a.m., according to Connecticut State Police.
State police said officers with the New Haven Police Department were trying to pull the Elantra over after the driver had nearly struck a marked cruiser. The vehicle was later found to have been stolen, according to state police.
Following the crash, the Elantra ended up in the northbound lane of Whalley Avenue, state police said. Both the male driver and a female passenger suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene, state police said.
The identity of both victims was not immediately released. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was expected to conduct autopsies on both victims as investigators worked to confirm their identities, state police said. Next of kin notifications would also need to be made before releasing their names, according to state police.
The crash is being investigated by state police at the request of New Haven police and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office. The state police Central District Major Crime Squad and the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad are handling the investigation.
Anyone with information has been asked to contact Det. James Bria at [email protected] or Det. Alec DeRosa at [email protected].