A 19-year-old member of the Connecticut National Guard was killed in a crash in Waterbury on Tuesday morning, three days before he was supposed to be getting married.
Spc. Josue Alicea-Tirado, of Waterbury, was with C Co., 1-102nd Infantry, according to Major General Francis J. Evon Jr., the adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard.
Alicea-Tirado was involved in a two-vehicle crash on Watertown Avenue at 5:20 a.m. Tuesday. He was brought to the hospital, where he died a short time later. Evon said in a statement that Alicea-Tirado was going to be married on Friday.
The other driver's injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Alicea-Tirado, who worked as a mechanic in his private life, had been with the Connecticut National Guard for two years.
“I want to send my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and battle buddies of Spc. Josue Alicea-Tirado from C Co., 1-102nd Infantry. The loss of this young man so close to what should have been the happiest day of his life makes this tragedy even harder to digest,” Evon said on social media.
Local
Evon is encouraging soldiers and airmen to support each other during this difficult time and to use Connecticut National Guard resources, including the behavioral health careline, family program and the state support Chaplin, if they need support.
“There is no shame in seeking out support,” Evon said in a news release about the death of Alicea-Tirado.
Waterbury police are investigating the crash and they ask anyone with information to call the Waterbury Police Department Crash Reconstruction Unit at (203) 346-3975.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
