Two Librarians on Trip Killed in Crash

Kathryn McClelland, 54, and Kathleen Krasniewicz, 71, were returning from a library conference in Colorado when tragedy struck.

The women, librarians at Perrot Memorial Library in Greenwich, were in a cab on their way to the airport just before 11 a.m. on Jan. 28 when they were struck by a truck, police said.

Sandra Lee Jacobson, 40, the woman suspected of drunken driving and killing two Greenwich librarians, was convicted before of driving while drunk before and is also in some trouble over accusations dealing with a Bengal tiger cub.  

Their Freedom Taxi mini van was sent it down an embankment, ejecting Krasniewicz, and McClelland, 71, both of the Riverside area of Greenwich. They died of blunt force injuries, the medical examiner ruled. 


Those who knew the librarians are posting on the library's blog here


 The taxi driver was taken to a Denver medical center with non-life threatening injuries.

Jacobson on suspicion of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and driving under the influence. The Rocky Mountain News reports Jacobson was convicted of driving under the influence in Douglas County in 2006. The Denver Post says she's scheduled for trial in March for allegedly owning a 7-month-old Bengal tiger cub.

Perrot Memorial Library Director Kevin McCarthy told the Greenwich Time that Krasniewicz was head of youth services. McClelland had retired from the library, but still served as a children's storyteller, he said. They had attended the Midwinter Conference of the American Library Association in Denver, Greenwich Time reports.

McClelland, known as "Mrs. Mac," had a more than 29-year career at the library, Greenwich Time reported, and helped develop the children's story time program.

Krasniewicz, "Mrs. K," worked at the library for 18 years. She took over as head of the youth services department when McClelland retired in 2007, Greenwich Time reports. She helped develop its collection and oversaw a variety of programs for infants to young adults, library officials said.

At Perrot Memorial Library Thursday visitors paid tribute to the women, according to Greenwich Time. Library administrators canceled the children's programs, allowing staff members to take the day off, library Director Kevin McCarthy told Greenwich Time. But many stayed and set up a temporary memorial on a library bulletin board.

Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson told Greenwich Time that several "unrestrained" dogs and puppies were found Wednesday inside the suspect's pick-up truck, which had been left in an airport cargo area about 10 miles away from the accident site.

"It has yet to be determined whether the animals in the vehicle were a distraction and played a role," Jackson told the paper.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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