HARTFORD — Police have identified those involved in a Route 4 car crash that killed two people, a 21-year-old Windsor resident and a 63-year-old Georgia resident who was visiting Vermont.
On Nov. 2, Hartford Police and Fire were dispatched to Woodstock Road, Route 4, following a two-car collision between a Ford Mustang with one occupant and a Kia Sorento with two occupants, according to a Nov. 3 news release.
When they arrived, the Ford—operated by 21-year-old Windsor resident William Scalese—was on fire, and the Kia—operated by 63-year-old Angela Decker of Commerce, Georgia—was partially on fire.
Emergency personnel were unable to access Scalese because the vehicle was engulfed in flames. They also could not reach a passenger of the Kia, 63-year-old Connie Bowman, of Maysville, Georgia. Officials found both individuals deceased once the fire was extinguished.
Decker, the Kia’s operator who had exited the vehicle, suffered serious injuries requiring transport to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, the initial release stated.
The Ford had significant fire damage, and the Kia had significant front-end damage, said Lt. William Furnari of the Hartford Police community outreach division. Officials shut down Woodstock Road for approximately four hours.
In the first news release, Hartford Police wrote that the Kia was traveling west in the westbound lane before coming to an uncontrolled stop against the guardrail. On-scene marks indicated that the Ford slid sideways into the Kia.
A follow-up release by Hartford Police on Nov. 6 clarified that the Ford failed to safely navigate the turn and slid into the Kia, which caused it to hit the guardrail, based on investigators’ preliminary findings.
Police identified Scalese, Bowman and Decker in a Nov. 10 news release.
Scalese graduated from Windsor High School in 2023, as one of 54 graduating seniors that year. Previous reporting by the Valley News indicated that he planned to join the U.S. Navy after high school.
Scalese has also been featured in local soccer and basketball coverage, along with a photo published in 2008 where he was raking leaves with his father, Mark, and sister, Alyssa.
Bowman’s obituary described her as a “loving mother, sister, grandmother and friend” who enjoyed coloring, cooking and traveling, and worked in the health and safety industry.
The crash remains under active investigation, according to police in the Nov. 10 update.
