Support Pours In For Family Of North Haven Man Killed In Crash

NORTH HAVEN, CT — The community is rallying around the family of a North Haven man who was recently killed in a wrong-way crash on I-95 by a suspected DUI driver.

Tianzhu Yuan, 34, was driving his 2005 Toyota Camry on I-95 North near Exit 34 in Milford around 2 a.m. on Nov. 26 when it was struck head-on by a vehicle being driven by James Tedesco that was heading in the wrong direction, according to Connecticut State Police.

Yuan was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Tedesco, 41, was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence, according to police. He was released after posting a $5,000 bond with a court date of Jan. 11, according to state judicial records.

Yuan was the father of two young daughters, according to a GoFundMe page.

David Zhang, who is listed as a cousin-in-law and friend of Yuan, recently created the GoFundMe campaign to help support the family.

“In the late evening of November 25, 2022, Tianzhu texted his wife, Qian (Vicky), after a long day at work, telling her he’d be home soon,” Zhang wrote in the post on GoFundMe. “Unfortunately, that was the last message he sent to his wife, and he never returned home.”

Zhang said Yuan’s death is “felt throughout the family and friends, especially his vulnerable wife and two young children.”

“Tianzhu and Qian (Vicky) immigrated from China and married for the past eight years,” the post on GoFundMe reads. “They worked hard to raise their children, take care of their parents and dreamed of having their own restaurant business one day and sending their children to college. Together they have two lovely daughters. The older one is seven-year-old, and the younger one is just one-month-old (born prematurely at 3 lb 9oz). His mother flew in from China a few months back to see and help the young family as she hasn’t seen her son and grandchildren since pre-Covid.

“Tianzhu was born into a family of chefs who had their mom-and-pop restaurant business in his hometown, Hunan, China. Growing up, he worked in the kitchen and at the front desk. He was passionate about cooking and always spoke of his dream of providing locals with an authentic Hunan cuisine experience, and he tried everything he could to make it happen. Even though the couple had an unsuccessful experience a few years ago and lost their savings, Tianzhu and Vicky did not give up their dream and thought of starting again once they had enough saved up. Tianzhu was so kind, talented, and loved by his friends, coworkers and customers at the restaurant he worked at."

Yuan was a chef for the past six years and had recently started working at Ginko Sichuan Cuisine of Fairfield, according to his obituary.

“Tianzhu's unexpected sudden passing not only leaves Vicky and her family in immense grief but also puts the family in immediate financial turmoil and deprives the bright future he planned for his two daughters,” Zhang wrote on the GoFundMe page.

Funeral services were held Saturday morning at Washington Memorial Funeral Home in North Haven.

More than $117,000 has been raised through the GoFundMe campaign, as of Friday night.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit the GoFundMe page here.

Read the full obituary here.

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