2 College Students Killed In CT Crash, Third Seriously Injured

Milford CT

23 October, 2021

9:00 AM

Description

Good Saturday morning Connecticut, Nice weather this weekend, sunny and about 10-15 degrees cooler than the summer-like weather we've been experiencing, but overall not bad for late October. Rain is likely late Sunday, and then heavy rain is forecast for Monday night and most of Tuesday. A couple of inches of rain is expected. Get ready for showers and a period of rain Sunday night into early Monday; followed by a fairly potent rain storm by Tuesday into Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/czETXZDZFn— Sam Sampieri (@SamSampieri) October 23, 2021 2 College Students Killed In Crash Jacob Chapman and Tyler Graham, both 18-years-old and members of the Western Connecticut State University's Men's Lacrosse Team were killed in a crash in Colchester Friday, according to media reports including WTNH News 8. A third student suffered serious injuries in the crash. According to authorities, the accident occurred when one vehicle tried to pass another car and that vehicle ended up veering off the road and crashed into a guardrail and trees, News 8 reports. The accident is under investigation by State Police. The university posted on social media: "To the WCSU community, I have additional information about the devastating accident on Friday that took the lives of two of our students. The students who passed away are Jacob Chapman and Tyler Graham. Both young men were first-year students. Jacob, 18, was a Business Management major from Colchester. Tyler, also 18, majoring in Management Information Sciences, lived in Colchester as well. "The third student in the accident, Trey Massaro, 19, a first-year student majoring in Justice and Law Administration, suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover. Trey is from Dalton, Massachusetts. All three students were members of the Men's Lacrosse team. "We plan on having a memorial for Jacob and Tyler on campus soon. I will share more information about that as plans develop. We continue to mourn the loss of two of our promising young students and hope for a strong recovery for Trey," said Dr. John B. Clark, President WCSU. (Read more at News 8). Statement released by the CT Department of Public Health "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization has expanded its recommendations related to booster doses, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health encourages all residents to review these recommendations and make a plan to receive a booster if they are eligible and want to. "As a result of this latest announcement, all adults who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are encouraged to get a booster at least two months after their original dose. In addition, for recipients of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, everyone 65 and older is encouraged to get a booster and many adults under 65 with high-risk conditions or who are at risk of exposure may get a booster. Pfizer and Moderna boosters should be timed at least six months after an individual's second dose. "Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC's recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. All three vaccine types are safe and effective, but individuals with questions about which vaccine to receive can consult with their physicians. The Connecticut Department of Public Health will also make more information available in the next days. "Individuals should visit ct.gov/covidvaccine to learn more and search for a convenient location near them to receive a booster dose of a COVID vaccine. There are more than 500 locations across the state that are administering boosters today. "DPH stresses that these booster shots are safe and effective, based on the latest data and evidence, after a thorough, independent, and transparent review process. "The reality is that, now, thousands of individuals across Connecticut are eligible for booster doses – regardless of which vaccine they originally received. I encourage individuals who received the J&J vaccine as well as everyone over 65 to make a plan to get a booster once the necessary amount of time has passed. For people under 65 who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, please take a look at the specific recommendations. Based on your occupation, you may very well be eligible to receive a booster as well," said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. "And if you haven't already, please get your flu vaccine. You can get your flu shot at the same time as your booster if you prefer to. The last 10 months have demonstrated the power and effectiveness of vaccines, and so we want to stay safe this winter so we can continue to return to normal." See also: Major Shopping Center Adds 5 New Stores With Plans For a 6th The lineup has been expanded at the shopping center just in time for the holiday shopping period.>>>Read More. Bobby Valentine, Former NY Mets Manager, Sues CT Town Over Tax Dispute The statement comes following a CT Post story that details a legal dispute between Valentine and the city on property taxes. Valentine is running for mayor.>>>Read More. Man Accused Of Sending Harassing Emails To Official The suspect appeared to have been angry over the removal of the city's Christopher Columbus statue, according to police.>>>Read More. Presidential Major Disaster Declaration Sought Following several weeks of data collection as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has submitted a request for a presidential major disaster declaration resulting from the damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida in early September. To qualify for the declaration, FEMA requires state and local governments to complete a detailed assessment under a process that typically takes several weeks to complete, including a calculation of FEMA-eligible damages, in order to determine whether the required federal thresholds have been met. "The extraordinarily heavy rain from this storm resulted in extensive flooding across Connecticut, overwhelming federal, state, and local roads, and flooding hundreds of homes and businesses," Lamont said. "The late-night arrival of the storm created additional challenges. First responders performed numerous rescues, with cars stranded or submerged in communities across the state as well as on interstate highways. Tragically, a state trooper was killed while patrolling a rain swollen river area. If approved, this federal declaration will allow many municipalities and homeowners to become eligible for much-needed assistance to recover from the damages caused by this storm." Based on the results of the FEMA State Preliminary Damage Assessment, Lamont has requested the FEMA Individual Assistance Program for Fairfield County and New London County, as well as the state's two tribal nations – the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribal Nation. If approved, homeowners in those counties and tribal nations may be eligible for federal reimbursements related to the costs of uninsured damage to their housing and personal property. In addition, the governor has requested the FEMA Public Assistance Program for Fairfield County and Middlesex County, based on those counties meeting the program's damage thresholds. If approved, public assistance will make the state and every municipality in those counties eligible to receive federal reimbursement of 75% of the costs for uninsured damage to infrastructure, as well as costs associated with their response and emergency protective measures. In his letter to FEMA, Lamont noted that Public Assistance damage assessments in Litchfield County, New Haven County, and New London County remain in progress, and he anticipates amending his request as soon as those assessments have been finalized if it has been determined that one or more of those counties also meet the thresholds necessary to quality. Finally, Lamont said he is also requesting implementation of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide. If approved, this program will help state agencies, local governments, and the tribal nations take actions that can reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural disasters.