Police ID tow truck driver killed on I-91

NORTH HAVEN — State police have identified the tow truck driver who was fatally struck by a car on the side of I-91 in town Saturday while he was getting ready to tow a broken-down car.

Christopher M. Russell, 38, of Ellington died at the scene, state police said Monday. The driver of the car that struck him was unconscious after the crash and taken to Midstate Medical Center in Meriden to be evaluated, according to state police.

The crash happened about 6:20 p.m. in the breakdown lane of I-91 north before Exit 11, state police said. Russell was behind a disabled 2008 Mazda when he was struck by a 2015 Nissan Rogue driven by a Cromwell man.

After the impact, the Nissan continued north until it struck a wire-rope guardrail near Exit 14 in Wallingford, state police said.

No other information about the crash was available Monday;

the investigation of the crash is ongoing. Anyone with information about it is asked to call the Troop I barracks of the state police in Bethany at 203393-4200.

AAA Northeast spokeswoman Fran Mayko urged Connecticut drivers to pay more attention to the law commonly referred to as the “Move Over” law. Passed in 2009 to protect emergency workers who help stranded motorists, it calls for fines of up to $10,000 for fatal incidents.

“You see this daily on our roadways,” Mayko said. “Connecticut’s “Slow Down, Move Over” law means just that: when a driver sees an emergency vehicle, whether it’s a state police cruiser, a fire truck, an ambulance, DOT vehicles, or a tow truck with activated lights, drivers need to slow down to a reasonable speed and if possible, move to the adjacent lane to give responders space to operate.”