HARTFORD – Senator Tony Hwang offered prayers and condolences to the family of 26-year-old CT DOT employee Andrew DiDomenico, who was killed in Wallingford when he was hit by an impaired driver while picking up trash on an Interstate 91 on-ramp. This tragic incident comes just weeks after CT State Police Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier was killed by an impaired driver on Interstate 84 in Southington. Senator Hwang emphasized the consequential impact of these preventable tragedies, and the critically important need to build on road safety legislation the Connecticut General Assembly has worked on in recent years.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the tragic loss of Andrew DiDomenico, a dedicated public employee who loved his job, whose life was tragically cut short by an impaired driver. I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to his family and friends during this difficult time. Let us honor his memory, his family, and countless others by striving for safer roadway behavior and working together as a society to prevent these traumatic events from happening in our communities,” Senator Hwang offered.
This year, Senator Hwang co-introduced HB 5330 which raised penalties for failure to comply with road safety orders and makes permanent a DOT work zone speeding program using automated enforcement. Last year, Senator Hwang co-introduced HB 5917 which contained recommendations from the Vision Zero Council. The Vision Zero Council was created to offer strategies to reduce roadway deaths, with the end goal of zero deaths on our roads. This legislation had many provisions including creating public awareness campaigns on drug-impaired driving, allowing prosecutorial officials to require road safety training for individuals who violate an infraction as a condition for resolving the ticket before a hearing, and encouraging schools to offer road safety programs that further the mission of Vision Zero. Senator Hwang, while proud of this legislative record on promoting road safety, noted that our work is far from finished.
“We have a responsibility as a society to ensure our roads are safe for all to use. We have funded awareness campaigns, encouraged the intuitive design of new roads and intersections, and increased enforcement of traffic laws on our roads. But at the end of the day, individual choice plays a significant role in road safety. When individuals decide to get behind the wheel while impaired, they are putting lives in danger. We must hold our friends, our family, and ourselves accountable, and work together to prevent impaired driving. With the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, remember: If you drink, don’t drive. And if you drive, don’t drink!” Senator Hwang added.
The post Senator Hwang Offers Condolences to Family of CT DOT Worker Andrew DiDomenico, Reinforces Need for Road Safety Solutions appeared first on Connecticut Senate Republicans.
