NIANTIC MAN DIES IN VERMONT CRASH
counts of second-degree failure to appear in court, first-degree trespassing, third-degree criminal mischief and breach of peace.
State police — Montville
A Niantic man has died in a car crash in the Vermont town of Stockbridge.
Vermont State Police say 69-year-old Philip Russell was driving on Route 107 Tuesday morning when he lost control of his car, crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming box truck.
Russell was taken to the Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, where he was pronounced dead. The other driver was not injured.
Police say it was snowing and sleeting at the time.
For 11 years, Russell was deputy superintendent of school operations in Milford, retiring in 2011. Prior to his stint in Milford, he was chief school business administrator in Norwich, Waterford, Hartford and Clinton; he also had been Guilford’s finance director.
In 2009, the Connecticut Association of School Business Officials named Russell co-winner of the Celebrated School Business Official award.
After retirement, Russell was interim finance director for the Town of Waterford in 2013 as they sought to fill the position.
Russell was known as a bit of a daredevil, having climbed some of the world’s highest mountains, scaled active volcanoes and even swum with sharks.
His daughter Chelsea, who was born with a rare enzyme deficiency that affected her health, was the inspiration for Russell and his wife Carol to start the Groton-based Chelsea Foundation that gave away free medical equipment to those in need. Russell also gave her one of his kidneys in 1997 that prolonged her life, though she died in 2015 at age 26.
The Chelsea Foundation donated hundreds of hospital beds and thousands of wheelchairs to the local community and elsewhere.
Russell himself made a full recovery after donating his kidney and was considered one of the better local tennis players, playing regularly in the Lyme Shores Tennis & Conditioning Center Sunday league for Sure Shots, a team that has won the league title for five straight years. had its water affected for three or four hours. All of Sandy Hollow Drive was out for an hour or so.
The cause of the break could have been repaving the road, Lanzafame said.
“When roads get paved, this kind of thing happens with all the machinery going over it and the compacting that goes on,” Lanzafame said. A hole was discovered in the bottom of the pipe, but otherwise it is in good condition.
Waterford Police Chief Brett Mahoney said drivers are advised to stay clear of the area, as the road is collapsed. An approximately 30X20 section of the road gave way.
Veolia Water is patching the road back up. Waterford Public Works Director Gary Schneider said the department will sweep any excess dirt or debris once Veolia finishes its work.
Gary Owens, who lives on Fog Plain Road, said he lost water last night but it got it back within a couple hours. Other residents on the road also said they temporarily lost access to water.
Mahoney said the road is going to be closed “for quite some time.” within 1,500 feet of a school.
Plain clothes officers were watching Allen on foot. When they approached him and identified themselves as officers, he allegedly took off running through the Cedar Grove Cemetery and ended up entering the pond in the back of the graveyard in an attempt to escape.
A release from NLPD said officers went to speak to Allen about “suspicious activity in the vicinity of Chester St./Jefferson Ave.” near New London High School.
Police Chief Peter Reichard said Allen was apprehended shortly after he jumped into the pond, which he said is 3 to 4 feet deep at most.
Allen allegedly discarded contraband in the water, including drugs, which have been recovered. Police requested the regional dive team to look for further evidence, and Norwich Underwater Search and Rescue and Yantic Fire Company responded.
Reichard said police have found marijuana and crack cocaine packaged for sale.