Ridgefield Lawyer Killed in Plane Crash

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Authorities have identified a Ridgefield attorney as one of the passengers killed in the plane that crashed Saturday into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Suffolk County medical examiner identified Richard P. Terbrusch, 53, of Ridgefield as among the three people killed Saturday when a Piper PA-34 went down over the Atlantic Ocean.

Terbrusch was engaged in the general practice of law, according to his LinkedIn page, including all aspects of probate law, family law, bankruptcy and civil litigation. He was a member of both the Connecticut State and Federal Bars.

He formerly worked for the Connecticut Judicial Branch, and was chairman of the Ridgefield Connecticut Police Commission and a former member of the Ridgefield Connecticut Board of Education. He has also been a graduate level guest lecturer on government administration at the Ancell School of Business at Western Connecticut State University. Terbrusch began his own law firm on Mill Plain Road in Danbury about 15 years ago.

Terbrusch has been a Trustee and the Treasurer of the Doris G. Quinn Foundation since 1999, and was an avid equestrian and nationally ranked amateur polo player according to his bio.

Divers located and recovered the bodies of Terbrusch and Jennifer Landrum, 45, a schoolteacher from Augusta, GA, on Sunday night. According to New York State Police, the first man located Saturday was identified as Munidat "Raj" Persaud, 41, of Waterbury, CT. Authorities said Persaud was the owner and pilot of the Piper twin turboprop airplane.

Authorities have not yet determined the intended destination of the plane, which took off from Danbury Municipal Airport on Saturday. Salvage operations by the Coast Guard and Suffolk County authorities proceeded through the night and all day Sunday. Commercial salvage companies then continued to work on recovering what they could of the plane.

USCG Lt. Jr. Grade Rodion Mazin reported that the FAA has been told by witnesses at the scene that the aircraft broke apart in the air, but made clear that was it only speculation, because "we did not see it ourselves."

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Photo: Contributed