Police: Basketball coach killed in hit-and-run

Hartford — Prince Tech boys basketball coach Kendall May was killed Friday in a hit-and-run crash involving a sport utility vehicle, officials said.

Hartford police said the crash took place shortly before 6:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of Main Street.

Police said they found May, 56, of Bloomfield, unresponsive at the scene and immediately began performing life-saving measures, but he ultimately died at an area hospital.

The driver, who has not been identified, fled north on Main Street in a gray Jeep Cherokee with the Vermont license plate KGE457, according to police. The incident remains under investigation.

May served as head coach at Prince Tech, his alma mater, for more than 25 years and racked up more 400 wins during his tenure. His death was confirmed Saturday by Dennis Mercado, the technical high school’s athletic director.

Kendall May’s brother, Tyrone May, said he was the freshman coach the last 15 seasons working under his older brother. Kendall also coached the boys cross country team and the girls track team and at one time was also the baseball coach at Prince Tech, Tyrone said.

He also said Kendall was the school’s inside suspension person, which handles the school’s discipline cases.

“He always wanted to joke all the time with kids,” Tyrone said. “He had a name for every kid in the school. He would intentionally mess up people’s names to make them laugh.

“He would help anyone at the drop of a dime. He’d give the kids clothes, sneakers. There wasn’t something he would not do for you.”

Tyrone also called Kendall “the captain of the ship” in the family.