STONINGTON, Conn. (WTIC Radio)_ A Boston, Massachusetts man is dead following a crash that closed both sides of I-95 in Stonington.
The accident was reported around 3:45 p.m. on Sunday.
State Police say Leander Ortega, 29, was driving a 2003 Volkswagen GTI when he attempted to pass three cars using the right of two total lanes on I-95 Northbound near Exit 91.
He side-swiped a 2020 Toyota RAV4 in the left lane. The RAV4 rear-ended the 2011 Toyota Tacoma in front of it.
Ortega was pronounced dead at the scene where his Volkswagen wrapped around a medium-diameter-sized tree.
The RAV4 also struck a Cedar tree. Several passengers were injured and hospitalized at L+M Memorial for observation. The driver was hospitalized at L+M Memorial for severe stomach pain.
The rear-ended car and a fourth vehicle that witnessed the crash but had no contact with other cars pulled over in the shoulder and remained on scene.
Both sides of the highway were shut down in the area of exits 90 and 91 for several hours of investigation.
