Lisbon/Plainfield/New London, CT – A Plainfield woman was fatally injured, and a New London man was seriously injured after their van collided with a bridge on I-395 and was consumed by fire Monday night.
At approximately 10:19 PM on Monday, August 19th, 2024, the Lisbon Fire Department and Connecticut State Police Troop E were dispatched to the area of I-395 Northbound at Preston Allen Rd for a reported rollover vehicle accident with a vehicle on fire.
Troopers arrived on the scene to find a 12-passenger style van with an occupant, later identified as a 34-year-old New London Man, ejected from the vehicle and another, later identified as a 33-year-old Plainfield woman, trapped inside. The fire quickly consumed the vehicle and the Plainfield woman was pronounced deceased on the scene.
Firefighters fought the fire from multiple angles, with apparatus located on I-395 and on the Preston Allen Rd bridge, to douse the flames before significant damage could be done to the bridge. Crews were able to extinguish the fuel-fed fire after approximately 45 minutes. In addition to the Lisbon Fire Department, mutual aid was requested from the Jewett City Fire Department and Occum Fire Department
A Department of Transportation (DOT) crew was called to assess the bridge for damage resulting from the crash and fire, it is unclear if any long-term damage was found. A portion of I-395 North was closed for approximately 4 hours to allow for firefighting operations and the subsequent investigation.
According to the Connecticut State Police, the preliminary investigation revealed a gray 2000 Dodge Ram Wagon 3500 was traveling Northbound on Interstate 395 when it ran off the right side of the road. The van struck an abutment of the Preston Allen Rd overpass bridge and a fire began within the vehicle. The driver, a 34-year-old New London man who owned the vehicle, was transported to William W. Backus Hospital (Norwich, CT) with serious injuries. The passenger, a 34-year-old Plainfield woman, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The accident remains under investigation by the Connecticut State Police Troop E and the Connecticut State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad (CARS). Anyone with information regarding the collision is asked to contact Trooper Timothy Wenglosky or Trooper Christopher Brett at 860-848-6500×5.
Agencies that responded, or were dispatched, included the Lisbon Fire Department, Lisbon Ambulance Service, American Ambulance Service, Occum Fire Department, Jewett City Fire Department, Connecticut State Police Troop E, Connecticut State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad (CARS), and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
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