Crime & Safety
Double Tragedy for East Haven & Branford Families
Megan Mcauliffe, 28, died in a car crash Aug. 18. She had worked as the Community Development Coordinator for the Urban Renewal Agency in East Haven and lived in Branford.
A car accident in Branford took the life of a former East Haven town employee August 18.
Branford Police are continuing the investigation into a one-car crash that occurred at about 1:20 a.m. Sunday morning on Brushy Plains Road by the intersection of Overland Court in which the passenger in the vehicle died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Sergeant Jeffery Beno said that when Officer Matthew Clerkin first arrived at the accident scene, he located the passenger, Megan Mcauliffe, 28, of Laurel Hill Road, Branford, trapped in the passenger seat of the heavily damaged vehicle and that vehicle was beginning to burn.
Officer Bryan McGinnis arrived a short time later and both officers were able to free Mcauliffe from the burning wreckage and drag her to safety.
Members of the Branford Fire Department arrived and paramedics treated Mcauliffe for her life threatening injuries and immediately transported her to Yale New Haven Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Mcauliffe worked for a short time as the Community Development Coordinator for the Urban Renewal Agency in East Haven. She resigned her post in December of 2011. Also that year, the East Haven Patch profiled Mcauliffe in her role at the town's Housing Authority.
Police investigators at the scene determined that the vehicle, which was being driven by Vincent Mauro, of the same address, and Mcauliffe's husband, was traveling southbound on Brushy Plains Road. It is believed that he lost control of the vehicle and traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a large tree.
This is the second tragedy in a year for the Mauro family. Mcauliffe was the daughter-in-law of Ralph Mauro, East Haven's former Assistant Director of Town Affairs. In August of 2012, his grandchild died from a fall while riding with him on a bulldozer.
At this point, no charges have been filed against the driver, Vincent Mauro.
Anyone with information concerning the crash can contact Branford Police Officer Melissa Carney at 203-481-4241.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
