Connecticut State Representative Quentin Williams (D-Middletown), 39, was legally intoxicated when he was killed by a wrong-way driver in January, according to Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford).
An accident investigation report yet to be released also showed that Kimede Mustafaj, 27, who had been identified as the woman who was the wrong-way driver in the crash, also died with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit and had Delta-9 THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in her system when the crash occurred, according to Hearst Connecticut Media Tuesday.
Ritter and House Majority Leader Jason Rojas informed the Democrat caucus, behind closed doors, the accident report is expected to show that Williams’ (pictured above) blood-alcohol content was 0.08, above the legal limit when he was killed on January 5 after leaving Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D-CT) inaugural ball.
“I was notified by the Commissioner of Public Safety that the report on Q Williams’ death would be coming out and that it would indicate that Rep. Williams was over the legal limit,” Ritter said, according to News12 Connecticut. “It goes without saying everybody should follow the law, but in no way does it diminish the way we feel about Q, or his legacy.”
“Obviously, it’s not something you want to read on Twitter or Facebook, and so we had a chance as a family, is what we call ourselves, to talk about it,” Ritter said, according to Hearst Media.
“What we shared with the caucus was that we expected a toxicology report to be released today or tomorrow and to be accessible to the public, and we just wanted to let them know about that,” Rojas stated during an interview on the House floor.
A report at WSHU Public Radio noted Wednesday that the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner “ruled that both Williams and Mustafaj died from blunt trauma to the head and torso. The deaths were ruled accidental pending results of the toxicology tests.”
Following the crash, Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto told state lawmakers Connecticut must work toward having safer roads.
Testifying that the state saw 13 wrong-way crashes in 2022, which claimed the lives of 23 people, Eucalitto said the general assembly could fight against the increase in fatalities by reducing the legal blood alcohol level for drivers in Connecticut.
“Most wrong way drivers causing these crashes – over 80% of them – are impaired, and most wrong way crashes happen between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m,” he said in written testimony.
“To be frank, Connecticut has a drunk driving problem,” Eucalitto said. “We are one of the worst offending states in the nation.”
Ritter also referred to Williams as an “incredible person” and said that the revelation he was legally intoxicated would not damage his colleagues’ perception of him, according to Hearst Media.
“I don’t think anybody wants to revisit that night or second-guess anybody,” the speaker said. “I think we all want to preserve the legacy and the things that he fought for, and that’s kind of where I think the caucus is right now.”
Williams was a popular Democrat who had served as Middletown’s treasurer and Planning and Zoning commissioner before being elected to state office. He also served as director of advocacy and policy for the charter school program in Stamford known as Excellence Community Schools.
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Susan Berry, PhD is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Quentin Williams” by Quentin Williams.
