DEEP Identifies Teen Killed When Car Falls Through Thin Ice on Pond at Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union

Investigators have identified the 18-year-old Massachusetts woman who died after the care she was in plunged into a pond in Union on Tuesday night. 

Emily Blouin, 18, of Southbridge, Massachusetts, and three other young people were in the vehicle that fell through thin ice at Bigelow Hollow State Park, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. 

Blouin was killed in the accident. The driver, Justin Mcallise, 20, and passengers, Hunter Bibeau, 22, and Lisa Tirado, 20, all of whom are also from Southbridge, Mass., were treated at Hartford Hospital and  have been released. 

Bibeau spoke with NBC Connecticut on Wednesday and said he and his friends went to the park for a late-night risde and they thought the snow-covered lake was actually part of the road.

The car was submerged in about 30 seconds.

“I couldn’t even open the door. The ice was too thick. And the water was so cold. And there was no way out but the window,” he said.

“It was just cold. I mean the water just started rushing in quick. As soon as I tried to kick the door open and then I shut it, and I rolled the window down before the car lost power," he said. "(A)nd I got out and all the doors were locked and I couldn’t open up the back hatch.”

He said he was able to help two friends out of the car, but could not get Blouin out.

Divers from the Tolland County Dive Team responded after the car drove into the boat launch area around 8 p.m. and fell through through the ice about 50 yards out, DEEP Environmental Conservation Police said. 

It appears that the four people in the vehicle entered the park illegally after dark and were driving around, even though it's prohibited at that time aside for fishing or boating activities, DEEP officials said. Dive crews had to extricate the four people from the car in the water.

Blouin who was seriously injured was transported to Rockville Hospital, where she died around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday. 

EnCon Police are investigating the incident. 

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