Counselors Mobilize At Newington HS, NPD ID's Saturday Crash Victims: UPDATE

NEWINGTON, CT — As the Newington High School community mourned the loss of one of its own, local police Monday confirmed the identities of the quartet killed in Saturday's horrific accident on Route 173.

According to the Newington Police Department, the identities of those killed are: Jeannette Tineo, 48, of Newington; Florinda Tineo, 50, of Newington; Gabriela Difo, 17, of Newington; and Maritza Smith, 56, of New Britain.

Police had withheld the identities of the four pending notification of the next of kin.

According to school officials, Difo — a Newington High School senior — is the daughter of Florinda Tineo and the niece of Jeannette Tineo. It is not clear what Smith's relationship is to the family members.

The NPD said Saturday afternoon they were "saddened to report" the three-vehicle crash on Willard Avenue (Route 173) "resulted in four fatalities."

According to the state Department of Transportation, Route 173 was closed between Route 175 (Cedar Street) and Robbins Avenue through Saturday afternoon because of the multi-vehicle accident.

The DOT said the accident was first reported just before 10 a.m. Saturday, and it was cleared by about 3:45 p.m.

Newington police said officers, Newington Fire Volunteer Fire Department firefighters, and emergency medical responders discovered the crash involved three vehicles.

"Despite immediate life-saving efforts, the victims were pronounced deceased at the scene," wrote the NPD Saturday afternoon.

Police said an additional individual involved in the crash sustained minor injuries.

"Our thoughts are with the victims' family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," wrote the NPD.

Police said the cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Mid-State Accident Reconstruction Squad.

Community rocked

The tragedy has rocked the Newington community, with state Rep. Gary Turco, D-Newington, expressing sadness on social media over the weekend.

"A terrible tragedy occurred in Newington this morning at 9:02 a.m. because of a car crash that resulted in the loss of at least four people," wrote Turco on "X."

"My heart and prayers go out to the victim’s families, friends, and the entire community as this horrific incident will surely impact us all, especially during the holiday weekend. We must support one another through these difficult times. Thank you to our public safety officials who have the job of dealing with this on a much closer and more difficult level."

Turco said Newington schools announced crisis support staff would be available throughout the day on Monday, April 21, to help students and staff impacted.

School Response

Saturday, Newington Superintendent of Schools Maureen Brummett immediately notified the NHS community about the tragedy.

Brummett told Patch Monday that Newington High had "a tremendous amount of support available to our staff and students," including a crisis management team operating in the school.

That team, Brummett said, is composed of counseling staff, representatives from Newington Human Services, Mobile Crisis Support, representatives from CT Center for School Safety and Crisis Preparation, and the Tales of Joy therapy dog.

Brummett delivered the sad news Saturday to the community.

"It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the passing of Newington High School Senior, Gabriela Difo," wrote Brummett.

"She was involved in a fatal car accident earlier today in Newington that also claimed the lives of her mother, Florinda Tineo, and her aunt, Jeannette Tineo."

Brummett said Difo's younger sister is an NHS junior, with a half-brother in NHS' freshman class.

"These students were not involved in the accident, but have suffered tremendous losses as a result of this tragedy," wrote Brummett in her message to the community.

NPD's Latest On Probe

Meanwhile, Newington police Monday afternoon released more information on the nature of the crash and the status of their probe.

"Although the exact cause of the crash is still undetermined, physical evidence at the scene paints a fundamental picture as to the events leading up to the collision," wrote the NPD in a statement. "It does not appear as though the surviving victim of the crash was at fault. We can also confirm that the vehicles involved were not stolen or being driven by anyone without the owner’s permission."

Police said a crash investigation "of this severity will take several weeks or even months to complete."

According to the NPD, the reconstruction process involves numerous investigative steps, including collecting digital information from each vehicle, canvassing for any residential or business video, interviewing witnesses, completing vehicle inspections, and conducting damage analysis.

"During the investigative phase of this crash, our primary responsibility is to collect and evaluate
all potential evidence and provide an accurate synopsis as to the cause," wrote the police.

"We then provide that information to those immediately impacted by this tragedy. Unfortunately, this process takes time, and investigators will be meticulous in this process."

As a result, police said folks should respect the privacy of those who lost loved ones and "resist the urge to speculate."

The Newington Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact NPD Officer Gabriella Lambros at 860-594-6229 or glambros@newingtonct.gov.