News12 New York
Where to Watch
Download the App
Local
Crime
Weather
beWell
The East End
Crime Files

Woman killed in first of 2 fiery crashes that closed northbound Merritt Parkway overnight

The first crash happened around 10:15 p.m. near exit 13 in New Canaan. Police say a Honda Accord veered off the road and collided with a tree adjacent to the right shoulder. The crash caused the car to catch on fire.

Emily Knapton

and

News 12 Staff

and

Rose Shannon

Apr 1, 2026, 5:00 PM

Updated

Share:

More Stories

Two separate crashes involving car fires, including one that was fatal, shut down a northbound stretch of the Merritt Parkway for hours Tuesday night.

The first crash happened around 10:15 p.m. near exit 13 in New Canaan.

Police say a Honda Accord veered off the road and collided with a tree adjacent to the right shoulder. The crash caused the car to catch on fire.

Police say an unidentified female passenger was found inside the vehicle and died at the scene. The driver was taken to Norwalk Hospital with injuries described as non‑life‑threatening.

Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact the police at 203-696-2500.

A second crash occurred shortly before midnight near exit 10 in Stamford.

State police say a police cruiser with its emergency lights was parked in the roadway to block traffic from the earlier crash when another vehicle struck it. The cruiser became engulfed in flames.

The driver admitted to police that they were traveling faster than the speed limit when they hit the cruiser.

The trooper was not inside the vehicle at the time. That driver was taken to Stamford Hospital with non-life-threatening

The northbound lanes were closed for an extended period while crews cleared both scenes.

More Stories

More From News12

App StoreGoogle Play Store

info

Newsletter

Send Photos/Videos

Contact

About Us

News Team

News 12 New York

follow us

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

more resources

Optimum Corporate

Optimum Service

Advertise on News 12

Careers

Content Removal Policy

© 2026 N12N, LLC

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Ad Choices