Waterbury, CT —
As a lifelong Connecticut resident, seeing headlines about accidents on our roads is sadly nothing new. But this past week, the tragedy that unfolded in Waterbury hit especially hard. Four people — four human beings with dreams, families, and futures — lost their lives when a car slammed into a local corner store.

I grew up here. I know the roads, the shortcuts, the ways the city moves and breathes. It’s part of me, like it’s part of so many of us. When something like this happens, it’s not just news — it feels personal.

And it should.

We’re heading into what’s supposed to be the best time of year in Connecticut: warm days, sunny weekends, trips to the shore, cookouts with friends. But it’s also a time when the risks on the road skyrocket. The months between Memorial Day and Labor Day are called the “100 Deadliest Days” for a reason — especially for young drivers.

In Waterbury, in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport — across every backroad, highway, and city street — we have to do better.

That means:

• Slowing down. Even when you’re late. Even when the roads seem clear.
• Putting the phone down. No text, no call, no song change is worth a life.
• Driving sober and alert. Every single trip.
• Looking out for others. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists — they all have families waiting for them at home too.

When we get behind the wheel, we’re making a promise — not just to ourselves, but to everyone around us. A promise to respect life.

The crash at the corner store is a devastating reminder of what’s at stake. Those four lives lost were not just statistics. They were part of this community. And while we grieve, we owe it to them — and to each other — to drive with more care, more patience, and more heart.

As someone who calls Connecticut home, I’m asking all of us: Let’s make the commitment to drive safer this summer. Let’s make sure fewer families have to mourn what should have been an ordinary day.

Our roads are ours to protect. Let’s not wait until tragedy strikes again to remember that.