Motorcyclist Killed In Interstate-84 Crash

By Andrew Gorosko

A New Britain man died Sunday after the motorcycle that he was driving on Interstate 84 collided with a sedan, causing the man to be thrown from the motorcycle and killed, state police said.

Robert Herazo, 28, of New Britain, died in the May 1 accident, state police said.

State police said Brian Bellemare, 38, of Naugatuck was driving a 2011 Hyundai Sonata sedan westward on I-84 in the right lane of two lanes, west of Exit 10, at about 10:51 am.

Herazo, who was wearing a helmet and high-visibility clothing, was driving a 2003 Suzuki GSX-R750 motorcycle, which was traveling behind the Hyundai, state police said.

The Hyundai then began braking due to traffic conditions, state police said.

The motorcyclist swerved from the left lane into the right lane as the traffic slowed, with the motorcycle then striking the rear passenger corner of the Hyundai, state police said.

That impact caused Herazo to be thrown off the motorcycle, land on the ground and then slide into some metal-beam guardrailing along the right road shoulder, fatally injuring Herazo, state police said. The motorcycle also fell to the ground, struck the guardrailing and broke apart.

The accident occurred just east of the Schoolhouse Hill Road overpass above I-84.

A spokeswoman for the chief state medical examiner’s office said an autopsy indicated that Herazo died accidentally due to multiple blunt force traumatic injuries.

State police said that neither Bellemare nor the four passengers in his Hyundai were injured in the incident.

Newtown Hook & Ladder volunteer firefighters responded to the accident scene, as did the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and a paramedic.

The accident and the ensuing police investigation caused lengthy travel delays on the highway. The accident remains under investigation, according to state police.