Connecticut Mom Intentionally Drove SUV Into River To Kill Self, Son With Special Needs: Police

The case involving an SUV that plunged into a river in Connecticut and killed a woman and her son with special needs seven months ago has been ruled out as a murder-suicide.

According to the police, 54-year-old Connie Crowell intentionally drove her vehicle into the Housatonic River on July 31, 2020, causing her and her 22-year-old son Jack to drown in 16 to 20 feet of water.

The vehicle ended up floating upside down about 75 yards from the riverbank, reported the New York Post. Witnesses, including boaters in the area, claimed that they had called 911 right after seeing the vehicle. First responders, including fireboats and divers from as far away as Oxford and Bantam, rushed to the scene.

However, the mother and the son could not be rescued, a report from Fox61 said. Although some firefighters secured the car from drifting any further into the river, they couldn't gain entry or rescue the duo. One firefighter even sustained minor injuries during the rescue operation.

Seymour Deputy Police Chief Roberto Rinaldi said their lengthy investigation had revealed it to be a case of murder-suicide. It was discovered during the investigation that a boater in the area had seen the car going down and tried to rescue its passengers.

"The boater made numerous attempts to rescue the occupants of the vehicle. However, Connie Crowell refused to acknowledge or accept the boater's assistance and rescue efforts," said Rinaldi.

What pushed Crowell to take the drastic step remains unclear.

Crowell was an active presence in the Alcohol and Drug Awareness movement of Monroe. According to Joseph Kobza, a local school superintendent, he had worked closely with Crowell when he was the principal of Masuk High School.

"She volunteered her time, pretty much my whole time at Masuk," Kobza said. "She was one of the driving forces in coordinating our forum on underage drinking."

He described John Crowell, also known as Jack, as a happy person. "Everybody loved Jack. He was always happy, always smiling. He just brightened up everyone’s days," Kobza added.

Last year, a man drove his car into a river in an attempt to escape the police who were chasing him. However, the Florence Police Water Rescue and Recovery Team were able to take him into custody.