Connecticut state Rep. Quentin Williams was killed in a head-on collision on his way home from Gov. Ned Lamont’s inaugural ball and his own swearing-in ceremony, House Democratic Leaders said on Thursday.
The accident happened around 12:45 a.m. on Route 9 in Cromwell, just north of Middletown. Mr. Williams was traveling south when he was hit by a vehicle traveling north in the southbound lane, according to Connecticut State Police. Kimede Katie Mustafaj, 27, of Manchester, Connecticut, was also killed in the crash. According to police, Mr. Williams’s car was “fully engulfed in flames” after the crash.
A Democrat from Middletown known to many as “Q,”, Williams was sworn in for his third term on Wednesday and was recently appointed House chairman of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. He was the first African American to represent Middletown in the Connecticut General Assembly.
All state flags were ordered to be flown at half-staff by Governor Ned Lamont. The Legislative Office Building has also been closed, and committee meetings have been canceled.
“This is devastating news, and I am incredibly saddened by this tragedy,” Lamont said in a statement. “Quentin had an infectiously optimistic personality, and he absolutely loved having the opportunity to represent his lifelong home of Middletown at the State Capitol. Public service was his passion, and he was always advocating on behalf of the people of his hometown.”
“He was a genuine person with a genuine soul, and he will be missed. My prayers are with his family, including his wife Carrissa and his mother Queen, as well as his friends and colleagues in the General Assembly,” Lamont continued.
Williams took office in 2019 and served as chairman of the legislature’s Aging Committee and the Commerce and Finance committees, according to CT Insider. He also co-chaired the Labor and Public Employees Committee and led the Housing Committee.
He is survived by his wife Carrissa Williams and his mother.
