BEACON FALLS — One man died in a fiery crash on Route 8 early Sunday.
The man was traveling north when his Chevrolet pickup veered off the road around 2:23 a.m., state police said.
The pickup hit a tree and became engulfed in flames, police said. The accident occurred about one-tenth of a mile north of Exit 24, police said.
Police had not identified the man late Sunday pending notification of his family. The pickup was registered in Connecticut, police said.
Emergency responders from Beacon Falls were on scene within minutes of the call.
Jeremy Rodorigo, a spokesman for Beacon Hose Company No. 1, said the truck was fully engulfed in flames when first responders got to the scene.
The truck had gone down an embankment and come to rest against the tree which it hit. Rodorigo said the accident scene was a few feet away from the highway entrance ramp, near downtown Beacon Falls.
Rodorigo said it took about 10 to 15 minutes to get the fire under control.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said his body was taken to the chief state medical examiner’s office in Farmington for an autopsy.
“It’s a sad thing that somebody lost their life in a tragic way,” Rodorigo said.
It was not clear what may have caused the pickup to veer off the road. An investigation by state police is ongoing.
