By Kathleen McWilliams
The Hartford Courant
TOLLAND, Conn. — The crash that killed a state trooper Thursday happened when his police car struck the back of a slow-moving tractor trailer on I-84, state police said.
Trooper Kevin Miller, a 19-year member of the Connecticut State Police and a father of two, was killed in the crash in Tolland.
“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the tragic loss of Trooper First Class Miller — a man who dedicated his life to serving the people of Connecticut,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said, adding that flags will be flown at half-staff in Miller’s honor.
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A stretch of I-84 east between exits 68 and 69 was closed for more than eight hours as investigators tried to determine what transpired in the midday crash between the state police cruiser and a tractor-trailer. The highway reopened just after 9 p.m.
Police said Miller, 49, was driving in the right lane of I-84 when his vehicle crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer driving ahead of him. According to the police report, it is unknown if Miller was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
The tractor trailer driver, Melvin Prentiss Purvis, 58, of Alabama was not injured.
A procession of state troopers headed to the scene of the crash at about 4:30 p.m. to retrieve Miller’s body and bring him back to Troop C for a brief memorial service. The procession then traveled down I-84 to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Farmington.
“State troopers and members of law enforcement put their lives on the line each and every day in order to selflessly protect the people of our state, and they deserve our utmost respect for the service they provide,” Malloy said. “As they protect us from harm, these brave men and women personify what it means to be a public servant. On behalf of the entire State of Connecticut, I send my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and State Police colleagues. I ask the people of Connecticut to keep Trooper First Class Miller and his family in their prayers.”
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Hundreds of officers and firefighters lined the route to Farmington, to honor a death within the tight-knit community of first responders.
All along I-84 East, flags were hung from overpasses and hoisted on top of tower ladders. Some cars pulled over as the procession approached to watch.
In East Hartford, police lined up at the Roberts Street exit as the procession passed and in Hartford, firefighters in full gear joined ranks with officers.
The impromptu memorial drew Hartford Police Chief David Rosado to the shoulder of the highway. Rosado spent his career as a state trooper before coming to Hartford this year.
Dora Schriro, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said Miller attended the state police academy in 1999 and had previously served on Troop E in Montville and Troop K in Colchester before being assigned to Troop C.
In a short statement, Schriro said the department was grateful for Miller’s “19 years of exemplary service.”
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, who calls Tolland home, said her heart was with Miller’s family and state police.
“Trooper First Class Kevin Miller was a veteran of the State Police — his death is a shock and a tragedy,” Wyman said. “We are fortunate and proud; he served the people of Connecticut with honor and commitment. We are forever grateful for his service.”
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U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy expressed his condolences to the family on Twitter Thursday.
“We’re grateful that he chose to spend his life serving the people of Connecticut and keeping us safe,” he wrote.
Connecticut General Assembly public safety committee co-chairs Sen. Tim Larson, D-East Hartford, and Rep. Joe Verrengia, D-West Hartford, released a statement following Miller’s death expressing their sympathy.
“On behalf of my colleagues in the state legislature I’d like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of State Trooper Kevin Miller. We want to express our sympathy and let you know that our thoughts are with you,” Larson said.
This was the first line of duty death of a state trooper since 2010 when Trooper First Class Kenneth Hall was hit and killed by a driver while he was giving a summons on I-91.
State police said the accident is currently under investigation by the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Troop C at 860-896-3200.
Courant staff writers Christine Dempsey, Nicholas Rondinone and Jesse Leavenworth contributed to this report.
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©2018 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.)