Aspiring NYPD Officer, Hockey Captain Killed in Wrong-Way Crash With Twice-Removed Immigrant
Department of Homeland Security confirmed the driver in the fatal crash had illegally reentered the U.S. multiple times.
A 21-year-old college hockey captain and aspiring NYPD officer was killed in a late-night wrong-way crash involving a Mexican national who had repeatedly entered the United States illegally after prior removals, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed.
Ryan O'Shea, a senior at the University of New Haven, died on Oct. 16 when his vehicle was struck head-on by a Chevrolet Silverado traveling the wrong way on Interstate 91 in North Haven, Connecticut, according to state police. The driver of the Silverado was identified as 31-year-old Guillermo Carmona-Lopez of Bridgeport.
O'Shea, a criminal justice major concentrating in police science, had interned with the New York City Police Department over the summer and expressed a desire to join the NYPD after graduation, with aspirations of eventually working for the Drug Enforcement Administration. University officials and teammates remembered O'Shea for his leadership, positive personality, and commitment to public service.
DHS records indicate Carmona-Lopez entered the U.S. illegally multiple times. He was first arrested by Border Patrol in May 2013 after an illegal entry and was issued an expedited removal order and subsequently removed from the country. Despite this, he later re-entered the U.S. illegally near the Rio Grande Valley and was arrested again by Border Patrol. He received a final order of removal on May 30, 2013, but his current status regarding re-entry into the U.S. is unclear.
The crash sent O'Shea's car into another lane, where it was struck by a Jeep, and then hit by a third vehicle. O'Shea sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Carmona-Lopez was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital with life-threatening injuries, and three other individuals suffered minor injuries.
Connecticut State Police are investigating the collision, with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad. DHS stated that individuals who break U.S. law are subject to consequences and that "criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."