A Connecticut elementary school teacher was among two people killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 395 in Webster, Massachusetts, over the weekend.
The crash was reported at 10:17 p.m. Saturday on I-395 south in the area of Exit 3.
State police said the crash resulted in the deaths of both the wrong-way driver and the driver whose vehicle he struck head on.
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Preliminary investigation indicates that a GMC Sierra pickup was traveling northbound in the left lane of the southbound side of I-395 when it collided head on with a 2012 Honda CRV SUV that was driving southbound in the same travel lane.
The driver of the GMC Sierra, 31-year-old Jordan Pimentel, of Auburn, was declared dead at the scene.
The driver of the Honda CRV, Kayla Morey, 35, of Dayville, Connecticut, also sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene. The superintendent of schools in Putnam, Connecticut, confirmed Monday that Morey was a fourth grade teacher at Putnam Elementary School. She had taught in Putnam since 2012.
"With a heavy heart, I share the passing of one of our teachers at Putnam Elementary School. We learned yesterday that Kayla Morey, a 4th grade teacher, was involved in a car accident this weekend," Superintendent Steve Rioux said in a message to parents on Sunday. "We send our most heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and students as they deal with this most tragic event.
Rioux said the district will have additional counselors at the school this week to support students and staff.
Both vehicles were towed from the scene and secured for further investigation. Both lanes of I-395 south at the crash site were closed for about five hours to accomodate the rescue response and crash reconstruction.
The crash investigation, including why Pimentel was driving the wrong way and where he entered the highway, is ongoing.
