A car driving the wrong way on I-95 southbound at Exit 70 in Old Lyme led to a fatal accident that killed three women — including a 71-year-old Branford resident — in a head-on collision at about 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
Tamara Nolin, 71, of Branford, Marjorie Minore, 90, of North Haven, and Barbara Prato, 63, of East Haven, were killed during the crash, according to an online report by The Day.
Nolin was the driver of the the sedan, which was allegedly struck by the wrong-way driver.
Prato is the wife of Momauguin Elementary School Principal John Prato.
Nolin's 2007 Nissan Maxima was struck by Frank Sundstrom, 51, of Warwick, R.I., who was driving his Oldsmoblie Alero the wrong way on the highway, The Day reports.
The accident led to additional crashes on the northbound side of 1-95 because other drivers were distracted by the scene.
Sundstrom was the sole occupant of his sedan vehicle and was flown by Lifestar helicopter to St. Raphael/Yale-New Haven Hospital in critical condition.
Police say the accidents on the northbound side of the highway were minor but succeeded in stopping traffic. The multiple vehicle collisions closed both the northbound and southbound lanes of 1-95 at Exit 70 for about four hours. The highway, which is now clear, reopened at about 2:30 a.m.
At this point, police don't know why the driver was traveling in the wrong direction on the highway. Crime scene investigators were on the scene for several hours collecting evidence last night but the accident remains under investigation.
