Driver Killed In Wrong-Way Crash On I-691: State Police

CHESHIRE/SOUTHINGTON, CT — A Waterbury woman was killed when the Mercedes-Benz she was driving on the wrong side of a highway slammed head-on into a tractor-trailer Wednesday evening, state police said.

The crash closed Interstate 691 East at Exit 4 on the Southington/Cheshire line for several hours on Wednesday, according to Connecticut State Police.

At 5:17 p.m. Wednesday, a tractor-trailer driven by a 53-year-old Oregon man was heading east on the correct portion of I-691 near Exit 4, according to a crash report. The Mercedes, a 2004 C240 sedan, was traveling west on the eastbound side of the highway and the two vehicles crashed head-on, state police said in a report.

The driver of the Mercedes, 54-year-old Sharon Knight, of Waterbury, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a crash report. The truck driver sustained "possible injuries," the report stated.

The highway was closed well into the night as police investigated the crash. State police said anyone witnessing the crash or seeing the Mercedes traveling the wrong way can contact Trooper Taylor Norton at Taylor.norton@ct.gov or by calling Troop I at 203-393-4200. State police are also seeking dashboard camera footage of the incident.

With reporting by Chris Dehnel, Patch Staff