February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Passengers Sister Mary Teresa (Caroline) Carroll, 71, and Sister Mary Christella (Rita) Sheehan, 83, died in the crash. The driver, Sister Catherine (Kay) O’Connell, 69, was airlifted to Hartford Hospital, where she remains in intensive care, according to Sister Joan Doyle at the Wilton convent.
“We are mostly communicating through doctors,” Sister Doyle said.
The disabled vehicle was crushed against a barrier, trapping the sisters. Firefighters used a hydraulic rescue tool to remove O’Connell from the wreck.
The van that hit the nun’s car, a GMC Savana, was driven by Cesar Valencia, 22, of Bristol, Conn. He and his passenger, Douglas Edwards, were on their way to a job for Ferazzoli Imports of New England, Inc. The company, based in Middletown, Conn., imports and cuts stone and marble.
The incident is being treated as an accident for the time being by state troopers.
A statement released by the School Sisters of Notre Dame read: “We are profoundly saddened by the deaths of our beloved sisters, Mary Teresa Carroll and Mary Christella Sheehan, both from our Motherhouse community here in Wilton.
“We offer our deepest sympathies to their families, to all who loved them and mourn their loss. It is a terrible shock to all of us. We are praying for Sister Kay O’Connell, who is in critical condition at Hartford Hospital. We ask each of you to join us in prayer for all of them at this time.”
Donations of any kind can be sent to the School Sisters of Notre Dame, 345 Belden Hill Rd., Wilton, CT 06897.