Neighbors in shock over fatal wrong-way crash

OLD LYME, Conn. (WTNH) -- Several families are grieving tonight after three women were killed in a wrong-way crash along I-95 in Old Lyme.
       
Two of the victims were mother and daughter, while the third was a family friend.

State Police say the other driver, a man from Rhode Island, was going the wrong way.

"I'm traveling southbound on 95 at the Baldwin bridge and I just passed a wrong way driver on the left hand shoulder," one person said in a 911 call.

Frantic calls were made as drivers on I-95 spotted a car driving the wrong way just after 9 p.m. Tuesday night. Moments later there was a horrific crash.

"Route 95 Southbound, Old Saybrook. Two cars completely destroyed on the highway."

"One of the cars is completely demolished."

"How many cars are there involved," the operator asked.

"I see one car kind of on the ramp going into the other lane, and the other on the right hands side of the road."

Tamara Nolin's Nissan Altima was unrecognizable. The 71-year-old Branford woman was traveling south on Interstate 95 in Old Lyme with her best friend 63-year-old Barbara Prato and Prato's 90-year-old mother Marjoirie Minore when State Police say 51-year-old Frank Sundstrom of Rhode Island struck them nearly head on with his Oldsmobile Alero.

Susan Westrick is Nolin's neighbor.

"She was a wonderful woman," Westrick said, "a great neighbor, very quiet kept to herself, always kind. I'm just totally in shock."

News 8 also spoke to relative of Nolin who was too angry to speak on camera. He told News 8 the women were coming from a show in New London when tragedy struck.

Sundstrom was critically injured.

"Is this Mrs. Sundstrom?"

His wife had no comment.

Back in Nolin's neighborhood where she had lived for more than 20 years a friend too upset to talk on camera tells News 8 Nolin loved to drive and was a good person.

"I'm really sorry to hear it," Westrick said, "very sorry to hear it."