State police are investigating a fatal crash and car fire in East Hartford involving an overhead sign and electrical box.
A driver headed westbound on Interstate 84 at about 3:56 a.m. Saturday was approaching the exit 57 off ramp in East Hartford when the 2007 Magnum S Dodge the driver was in struck the exit sign, state police said. When the car hit the sign, it continued off the road and left shoulder, striking a mdetal guard rail. Then the car continued in the westbound direction and hit a concrete overhead sign support and Department of Transportation electrical box head-on, state police said.
That's when the car caught on fire, killing the driver.
The victim has not yet been identified.
The car was registered to Hayward Parker, of East Hartford, but it's not clear who was driving it. Tolland Autobody towed the vehicle.
The highway was closed for several hours at exit 58 and traffic was being diverted earlier at Routes 5 and 15, but traffic was getting by as of 9:45 a.m.
State police ask anyone with information to call Troop H barracks in Hartford at 860-534-1000.
