1 dead, 4 severely injured after teens trapped in burning vehicle in Wolcott crash

An 18-year-old has died and four other teens were critically injured in a crash Saturday night during which the vehicle they were in caught on fire, police said.

When police officers arrived at the scene of a crash in Wolcott Saturday night they found two teenagers standing outside of a burning vehicle that was lying on its side against a tree.

The teens told police that there were still three people inside the vehicle, which was partially engulfed in flames and had crashed down an embankment, police said.

Officers responded to the scene at 734 Spindle Hill Rd. just after 10 p.m. — which was during the Wolcott High School prom. A firefighter quickly began to fight the flames with a fire extinguisher, while a police officer “reached through the shattered rear window” and pulled out the person who was still in the backseat, the Wolcott Police Department said.

The Wolcott Volunteer Fire Department arrived on scene and extinguished the rest of the blaze. The two people in the front seat were trapped inside and had to be extracted from the vehicle, police said.

The crash happened the same night as the local high school’s prom, which was scheduled from 6 to 11 p.m. according to the school website. 

The 18-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The other person pulled from the front seat, age 17, was flown to Hartford Hospital by Lifestar in critical condition.

The three teens who were in the backseat — ages 16 and 18 — “suffered very serious injuries” and were taken to local hospitals.

The Naugatuck Valley Collision Investigation were called to the scene and will continue to investigate, led by Wolcott Police Sergeant Jeff Reichard. The teens have not been identified.