Elderly Man Killed In Violent Crash In Hartford: Police

HARTFORD, CT — State police said Wednesday they're looking for the public's assistance as they investigate a violent crash in Hartford Tuesday that killed an elderly New York man.

State police released the accident report late Wednesday morning on the crash, which involved a Toyota SUV and a UPS tractor trailer on the Route 5/15 highway in Hartford.

Police said the collision, which was reported at 12:27 a.m. Tuesday, claimed the life of Douglas F. Arotsky, 77, of Kenilworth Drive, East Northport, N.Y.

He was the lone occupant of the 2004 Toyota Rav 4 he was driving and his seat belt was being utilized, according to the report.

According to the accident report, a UPS tractor trailer being driven by a 37-year-old Dracut, Mass., man was traveling on Route 5/15 South, just north of Exit 86, in the deceleration lane.

Meanwhile, Arotsky's Toyota was traveling in the right lane to the left of the tractor trailer.

Police said the Toyota then slammed into the attenuator at Exit 86 off Route 5/15.

Attenuators are crash barriers placed in front of fixed objects on the highway, such as gore points and overpass supports.

In this case, state police said the attenuator was protecting a gore point where Route 5/15 splices off with Exit 86.

After the Toyota hit the barrier, it ended up in the deceleration lane, where it collided with the UPS tractor trailer.

The truck came to a controlled stop in the travel lane and right shoulder of the Exit 86 ramp.

The Toyota Rav 4 came to an "uncontrolled rest" in the Exit 86 travel lane.

Police said Arotsky was pronounced dead at the scene, while the truck driver was uninjured and declined treatment.

Both vehicles were towed from the scene due to disabling damage.

The accident resulted in that off-ramp's closure for much of the morning Tuesday.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash, or who has dash cam footage of either vehicle, is asked to contact Trooper Michael Dean at the Troop H barracks in Hartford at 860-534-1098 or michael.dean@ct.gov.

From Oct. 17: 'Tractor Trailer/Vehicle Crash Cleared In Hartford: UPDATE'

For the Connecticut State Police news page, click on this link.