Manchester Man Killed In Violent Crash In Hartford: Police

HARTFORD, CT — A Manchester man was killed early Friday morning in violent accident on Route 5/15 in Hartford.

According to Connecticut State Police, Joseph L. Johnson, 26, of Autumn Street, Manchester, died after the vehicle he was driving slammed a concrete barrier, traveled through a metal guardrail, hit a tree then went down an embankment.

Police said the single-vehicle crash happened at 2:17 a.m. Friday in the northbound side of the state highway.

According to the accident report, released at around midday Friday, Johnson was wearing a seatbelt, but he was prounounced dead at the scene.

Johnson was the only person in the vehicle, police said.

According to the accident report, the 2006 Chevrolet Impala being driven by Johnson was traveling north on Route 5/15, south of Exit 86 in the left lane of the two-lane highway.

Police said, "for an unknown reason," Johnson lost control of the car, traveled to the left, entered the left shoulder, then crashed into a concrete barrier in the center median.

From there, police said, the Impala veered back across the highway into the right shoulder, colliding with a metal beam guardrail and traveling through it.

The car then collided with a tree and went down an embankment, where it came to a final, uncontrolled rest halfway down, police said.

Police are still investigating and anyone with information is asked to contact state police trooper Michael Dean at Troop H in Hartford at 860-534-1098 or michael.dean@ct.gov. Footage from a dashcam is especially helpful, police said, if anyone was driving in that area at the time of the crash.