The victim was identified as 83-year-old Tan Dinh, a Windsor resident, a day after the crash.
WINDSOR, Conn. — Windsor police are asking witnesses to come forward after a three-vehicle crash at Route 218 and Windsor Avenue left one town resident dead and seven other people hospitalized during the Wednesday afternoon commute.
The call came in at 2:32 p.m., placing the collision in the middle of a busy part of the day on one of Windsor’s main road connections. By Thursday, police had identified the person killed as Tan Dinh, 83, of Windsor, but many of the key facts behind the crash still had not been released. That left investigators focused on reconstructing the collision and left the public with only a partial picture of what happened.
According to police, officers responded to a report of a three-car crash at the intersection of Windsor Avenue and Route 218, also known as Putnam Highway. Emergency crews arriving at the scene found three vehicles involved and multiple people hurt. One person died at the scene before being taken from the intersection. Seven other people were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Officials later said those injuries were not life-threatening. The police department did not release the names of the injured, their ages or which hospitals received them. Investigators also did not say whether all eight victims were inside the three vehicles or whether any of the injured were treated and released later that day.
What police have emphasized instead is what remains unknown. The department has not said which direction each vehicle was traveling, whether one of the drivers may have crossed into another lane, or whether a turn, signal change or failure to yield was involved. It has not described the extent of damage to each vehicle or whether any crash reconstruction team was called in from outside the department. Capt. Andrew Power said only that the investigation remained open and that anyone who witnessed the crash or had information should contact Windsor police. Public appeals like that often signal that investigators are still looking for independent accounts to help confirm timing, direction of travel and the order of impact.
The intersection itself gives the case added weight. Route 218 is a known east-west roadway in Windsor, and its meeting point with Windsor Avenue carries steady local traffic. A crash there can create a broad chain of consequences, from road closures to delayed travel and a larger emergency response. Wednesday’s collision did both. Police, fire and ambulance personnel were all sent to the scene. The death of an 83-year-old local resident also changed the story from a traffic disruption into a fatal investigation. Even after the victim was identified on Thursday, officials kept the broader public briefing narrow, releasing only the most basic confirmed facts while holding back on cause.
That means the next phase of the case will likely depend on methodical review rather than quick answers. Investigators typically compare witness statements with physical evidence from the scene, including debris patterns, skid marks, final vehicle positions and any available camera footage. They may also inspect the vehicles involved and examine whether road or signal conditions played any part. Police have not said when a final finding might be released, and there is no public indication yet that criminal charges are pending. Any enforcement step would likely depend on evidence gathered after the initial response. Until then, the crash remains an active inquiry rather than a closed case.
The sparse official record has left one clear point and several open ones. The clear point is the toll: Dinh was killed, and seven others were hurt badly enough to need hospital treatment. The open questions include the cause of the collision, the condition of the injured victims beyond the initial hospital transport, and whether anyone may ultimately be held responsible. For families connected to the crash, that uncertainty can stretch beyond the day of the collision. For the town, it means a well-known intersection is now tied to a fatal event that investigators still have not fully explained.
As of Friday, Windsor police were still investigating the fatal crash and still asking the public for information about what happened at Route 218 and Windsor Avenue. The next significant update is expected to come when investigators release more findings or announce whether any charges will be filed.
Author note: Last updated March 27, 2026.