One person is dead and five others suffered minor injuries after a driver in a stolen vehicle fled from North Haven Police and collided with two other vehicles in Hamden early Tuesday morning, authorities said.
State Police said 19-year-old Jonathan Garcia, of New Haven, was driving a 2012 Honda Pilot that was reported stolen from New Britain on Saturday and collided with a Chevrolet Silverado and a Nissan Armada that were stopped at a light on Dixwell Avenue at 2:16 a.m. Tuesday.
State police said Garcia had fled from North Haven police when they tried to stop him on State Street and led police on a chase.
Police said 25-year-old Andrew Basilici, who was in the back seat of the Pilot sustained life-threatening injuries, according to state police. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that Basilici died of his injuries.
State police said everyone involved in the crash was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital to be evaluated and five minor injuries are reported.
Rev. David Burgess was one of the drivers involved in the crash. He spoke exclusively with NBC Connecticut.
"I see this black SUV coming towards me and it was going at a high rate of speed, and it was careening out of control," Burgess said.
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Moments later the SUV slammed into his pickup. He's at home Tuesday night recovering from back and neck pain.
"It started coming towards my vehicle and at that time I seen it, all I could yell out was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, by the time I hit the third Jesus the impact hit the back of my truck," he explained.
The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office reached out to state police to investigate the crash.
No information was released on whether any charges have been filed.
Witnesses are asked to call state police at 203-630-5634.
