Man Killed After Terrible Accident on I-84 West

It was a mess on I-84 yesterday, and sadly, someone lost their life.

My daily commute is both under I-84 West and over I-84 East on what is known as the "mix-master" in Waterbury. If you drive it frequently, you know the challenges of both the on and off merges. Chances are, you've sat in long lines of traffic because of crashes there.

I fielded many phone calls yesterday from motorists asking what the major backup was on 84 West in the Waterbury area. Reports of people turning around in the median, and back roads clogged. Turns out that I-84 West had been closed due to a horrific accident.

Tragically, a Waterbury man lost his life on the scene. The accident report from the Connecticut State Police Troop A, states that 55-year-old Howard Pellagrino of Waterbury died in the crash of his vehicle that collided with a tractor trailer in the westbound lanes the morning of Oct. 23.

Pellagrino was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The driver of the tractor trailer was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Both vehicles were towed from the scene and police say an investigation is still pending.

Between the ongoing construction on I-84 in the Waterbury area, and the poorly configured "mix-master" in Waterbury, you take your life in your hands every day driving through that part of Connecticut.

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