Off-Duty Firefighter Killed In Highway Crash

City firefighters mourned yet another death of one of their own as they gathered at the Lombard Street station to remember Thomas Mieles, a 27-year-old Fair Havener who died Wednesday night in a five-vehicle car crash on I‑91.

Thursday morning’s press conference at the department’s 412 Lombard St. station took place roughly 12 hours after Mieles, who lived on Atwater Street and was a Wilbur Cross High School graduate, was struck and killed by a car while off-duty standing just south of Exit 8 on I‑91 at around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday. (See below for more details on what happened.)

“Thomas loved the fire department,” Fire Chief John Alston said on Thursday while standing alongside Mayor Justin Elicker, city fire union President Patrick Cannon, and a host of fellow top fire department officials and members of the Lombard Street Station.

“One of the most exciting things he had was to work in this house. Growing up in this neighborhood and being able to protect his own neighborhood, I understand how proud he was.”

Mieles was ​“a person you always knew [when he] walked into the room,” said Ibrahim Cheek, a fire department classmate of Mieles, who became a city firefighter only in January. He was ​“very full of life. Very enthusiastic. Loved his job. A real good-hearted person.” He ​“talked a lot,” Cheek said with a smile as his fellow Lombard Street station colleagues put their hands on his shoulders in support, ​“but very good hearted. 

“He was extremely proud to serve his city, just like all of us are. A really big loss. A really big hit to the department. I’m just glad I had the chance to know him.”

Mieles’ death comes one year after the city fire department lost fellow firefighters Ricardo Torres, 30, to an on-duty death and William McMillian, 27, to an off-duty death.

“Here we are again. Another awful day for the New Haven Fire Department,” fire union President Cannon said on Thursday. ​“We stand here with our hearts full of sorrow. We’ve lost another brother. A young, energetic, full of life firefighter.”

Mayor Justin Elicker said that he and Alston and several other top firefighters joined Mieles’ family at the hospital Wednesday night. ​“It’s just so tragic for the family,” Elicker said. He described Mieles as ​“a New Haven kid” who went to Wilbur Cross, ​“lived around the corner on Atwater Street” and ​“was a longtime member of our community.”

“The loss for our community is just incredible,” the mayor said.

Alston said that he also responded to Wednesday night’s car crash and was expecting to have to manage ​“a major traffic accident.”

“Never in our wildest dreams did we realize that the person that was being rescued and resusciated was one of our own,” he said. ​“It’s been a very difficult time for our department.”

"Sideswiped" Car Struck Mieles After 5-Car Crash

The state police broke the news of Mieles’s death in an accident report written at 9:42 p.m. Wednesday and later published to the office’s website.

According to that state police report, Mieles’s vehicle, a Honda Accord, was involved ​“in a separate one car motor vehicle accident and became disabled in the left lane of travel on I‑91” just south of Exit 8 in New Haven. Two other vehicles, a Ford Taurus and a Chevrolet Silverado, then stopped directly in front of his car as the drivers tried to assist Mieles. 

While those three cars were stopped on the highway, a fourth vehicle, an Acura TLX, that was traveling northbound on I‑91 struck Mieles’s Honda, pushing that car into the Ford Taurus. 

That Acura then continued forward and ​“sideswiped” a fifth vehicle, a Chevrolet Equinox, that was also heading north on the highway.

That Chevrolet Equinox that had just been sideswiped then entered the left lane ​“and struck a male pedestrian previously operating Vehicle #1,” — that is, Mieles. 

“The male pedestrian sustained life threatening injuries and was transported by AMR to Yale New Haven Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.” The drivers of the second, third, and fourth vehicles ​“all sustained minor injuries” and were also taken to the hospital.

In a Thursday morning press release, Chief Alston stated that Mieles’s most recent assignment ​“was protecting the neighborhood he lived in, at Engine 10, the Lombard Fire Station,” Alston wrote. ​“All department flags will be lowered to half mast, in honor of his service to our city. We ask your kind thoughts and prayers during this time of bereavement for his family, friends, and department members as they grieve this tragic loss.”

After news broke about Mieles’s death Thursday, family members, friends and fellow firefighters took to social media to grieve his loss. 

“Thomas was such an amazing person and soul. This hurts. He will be truly missed. Prayers for the mieles family and his fiancé bri,” Lennette Cam wrote on Facebook.

“Can’t Fucking Believe it man RIP Childhood Friend had the pleasure to graduate w you in Middle School in Clinton Ave,” Steven Ortiz wrote on Facebook. ​“Even Msged you on Ig saying how i was happy you became a fireman cause you always looked like one, SMH this World Sucks RIP Thomas.”

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the off-duty death of Firefighter Thomas Mieles, 27,” the New Haven Firemen’s Benevolent Association posted on Facebook. ​“After graduating from NHFD Recruit Class 63, Thomas was assigned to his home neighborhood of Engine 10 in Fair Haven. Charismatic and hard working, he was natural firefighter and perfect fit with his crew. Thomas Mieles will be deeply missed by all that knew him.”

Click on the video below to watch Thursday’s press conference in full.