Man Killed In Fiery Crash With Tractor Trailer: New Haven PD

NEW HAVEN, CT — A 22-year-old New Britain man was killed in the early morning hours Saturday after the BMW he was driving crashed into the side of a tractor trailer, causing a fire to engulf both vehicles, according to the New Haven Police Department.

New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said investigators are looking to see if there's a connection between the crash and reports of illegal street racing.

"If we establish a link between the two, we will be looking to make arrests of any involved individuals," Jacobson said in a news release.

The identity of the deceased is not being released pending notification to family members, police said.

On May 18 at 3:29 a.m., New Haven police officers responded to the intersection of Foxon Boulevard and Middletown Avenue on a report of a two-vehicle collision.

Officers found a black BMW which had struck the passenger side of a tractor trailer.

The trailer, which was filled with compacted cardboard, caught fire, NBC Connecticut reported. Firefighters worked for hours to extinguish the flames, the report said.

The driver of the BMW was pulled from the car by a passerby and was then taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured in the crash, and police said he was able to exit the truck on his own and is cooperating with investigators.

Along with the New Haven Fire Department, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT-DEEP) also responded to the scene.

Anyone with more information on the crash is asked to call detectives at 203-946-6304. The public can also submit information through the department's anonymous tip-line at 866-888-TIPS (8477).