Video a deadly reminder for Clinton man

Clinton (WTNH) - Newly released video shows a police-involved crash that killed two teens from Orange. For one man in Clinton, the video is a reminder of his wife's death who was also killed by a speeding police officer.

Video of a speeding Milford police cruiser crashing into another car as it turned in front of him has prompted shock and outrage. John Cullen of Clinton knows those feelings well because he went through the same feelings 25 years ago.

"She had the green light and a Clinton officer ran through two red lights and hit her broadside and killed her," Cullen explained.

Claudine Cullen was driving to get a birthday cake for their daughter who was turning one. A state police investigation showed the Clinton officer was going more than 70 miles an hour when he hit Claudine. She was turning left onto Route 81. That officer did have his lights and siren on.

The Milford officer last June did not. That accident took the lives of two teenagers. When John Cullen saw the dash cam video that was just released, he couldn't help but think of the tragedy that took his wife.

"What I see was wrong. It has to be corrected somehow. You know, there's just too many accidents like this," he said.

Cullen won a lawsuit and got $800,000 from the town of Clinton, but he says more importantly, he's kept badgering the town ever since to educate its police officers about dangerous driving.

"I'm on record over it. The only thing I can try to do is correct it, and I have corrected it in this town. They have slowed down. I see them stop at red lights more and more now," he said.

He says he hopes Milford and other police departments learn a similar lesson about speed and safety. As for John Cullen, he's learned his own lesson.

"So the only thing I have to say is, kiss your wife and kids, your family, tell them you love them, and hope they come home at night. That's all you can wish for," he said.