Killed Cheerleader Had Business Dreams

(Updated) Camryn ​“Mooka” Gayle and her friend Shyan Dawson had a plan: Quit their jobs and start a weekend child-care business.

The high-school pals never got a chance to pursue that dream, or their other dreams: Those dreams were killed in a one-car crash Tuesday night on Sherman Parkway.

Gayle, 17, was behind the wheel of an Acura TSX that ​“left the travel portion of the roadway and struck a tree” on Sherman Parkway between Harding Place and Ford Street shortly before 8:15 p.m., according to police spokesperson Office Scott Shumway. Dawson, 18, was in the passenger seat.

They were taken to the hospital, where Gayle was pronounced dead and Dawson was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Gayle’s family and friends held a vigil for her at the crash scene Wednesday evening. (Click here to read WTNH’s report on the vigil.)

The crash occurred up the block from Hillhouse High School, where Dawson is enrolled. Gayle attended Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School, where she participated in dance. Gayle also was a member of the Hillhouse cheerleading team.

The two students also had part-time jobs, according to Janay Butler, Gayle’s ​“favorite cousin.” Gayle worked at The Children’s Place clothing store in the Milford mall.

In the weeks before the crash, Gayle and Dawson were putting together plans to quit their jobs in order to launch a business to take care of children on weekends, Butler said.

She described her younger cousin as full of infectious, positive energy.

“She had a vey important impact on everybody’s life. She kept every body smiling. She could really light up a room with her smile. No matter where you are, she’s going to pull out a phone for TikTok,” Butler said. ​“Her energy was just everything. “

Schools spokesperson Justin Harmon said counselors have been providing help to students at the two high schools. The department sent a note to parents at both schools informing them of the situation.

A neighbor passing by the crash scene mid-day Wednesday said speeders have made the winding stretch treacherous.

“The other day my neighbor was coming out and someone speeding came out and hit him,” and the car ended up in the bushes, said the man, who said he goes by ​“Future Kenyatta.” ​“People gotta be carer right here. There are a lot of accidents.”

The activist groups Black and Brown United in Action and Unidad Latina en Acción wrote to government officials Wednesday asking ​“for the city to put a light, speed bump and signs along the Sherman Parkway corridor, with particular attention to blind spots such as Harding Place and Sherman Parkway, West Hazel and Sherman Parkway, Willis Street and Sherman Parkway” in light of the crash.

The crash ​“shook several houses, many from the community gathered outside to look on as first responders desperately tried to rescue the victims in one of the city’s poorly lit sections and blindspot. From the scene it was obvious that the community present was traumatized by the incident, which unfortunately is a scene which occurs too often in these areas. This forgotten section of the city is between Hill House High School and the New Haven Police Academy and has seen several crashes over the years due to the lack of proper lighting and speed bumps. Many times police crusaders speed down the parkway,” the letter read in part.

“There are several one way streets between Dixwell Avenue and Sherman Parkway, many of them, like Harding Place, have poor lighting and blind corners. It was traumatizing watching first responders do as much as they could in the poorly lit street to rescue the young woman whose car flipped at least twice and finally crashed into the tree near the corner of Harding Place and Sherman Avenue last night. This morning, flowers are already being laid down, mourners are gathering, one can only say a prayer for the family and wonder what the outcome could have been if there was proper lighting at the corner. “