UConn sophomore Jaffny Pally, 19, was crushed in a freak accident
STORRS, Connecticut — A 19-year-old student at the University of Connecticut was killed in a freak accident over the weekend in which she was run over by a fire department SUV pulling out of its station.
Connecticut State Police say Jaffny Pally had been seated with her back against the fire department vehicle bay door around 1 a.m. Sunday when a call came in and the SUV pulled out quickly.
When the door lifted, Pally fell backwards and the vehicle, a Chevy Tahoe, rolled over her. It was not clear why she was sitting against the door.
Pally, who hailed from nearby West Hartford, was planning to study nursing, her family told the Hartford Courant.
“Every student is precious to us, and this is a heartbreaking and tragic loss. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched. We know that words cannot begin to express their grief,” UConn President Susan Herbst said in a statement.
The driver of the department vehicle was placed on administrative lead while state police continue their investigation.
