Investigation into Julie Greim's Death to Take Weeks
Connecticut State Police spokesperson Lt. Paul Vance said it could take six weeks or longer to complete the investigation into the Aug. 21 death of Guilford resident Julie Greim, 21.
Greim was killed when she was hit by another vehicle while walking or standing along the I-91 highway in Meriden. Her family said she was driving alone on the highway that evening to pick up her boyfriend who had been attending a concert in Hartford. After experiencing a flat tire, she called a male friend on her cell phone for assistance, according to her father William Greim.
State police say Julie Greim was allegedly struck and killed by a Toyota Sienna driven by David Zhang, 22, of Tanglewood Drive in Hamden. Zhi Zhang, 45, of the same address, was a passenger in the vehicle. The Zhangs could not be reached for comment.
"We will be looking at all facets of the incident, including, quite frankly, actions from both parties," said Vance. "We will be investigating a possibility that Greim's car had been involved in a crash prior to the incident."
Jeffrey Hutchinson, deputy chief of police in Guilford, said because the incident happened in Meriden, it is being investigated by the state police and not his department.
"The Guilford Police Department has nothing to do with this investigation," noted Hutchinson, saying his department would indeed help, if asked by the state police.
The accident is being investigated by Troop I in Bethany. Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper Douglas Sackett at 203-393-4200.
Vance said the investigation will take at least six weeks to complete and that "no enforcement action" will be taken, if taken at all, until "all pieces are put together."
Greim, a 2007 Guilford High School graduate, is survived by her parents William and Ellen Greim and two sisters. She had attended Middlesex Community College and was currently working at SARAH, Inc.
A memorial service for her was held Aug. 26 at St. George Church in Guilford.
Vance said what happened to Greim was "a tragedy" and his department would do its best to get the answers to what occurred that evening.
"The highway shoulder is a very dangerous place to be," said Vance.
He advised motorists to never stop along the shoulder of a highway if possible, but to slowly, especially in the case of a flat tire, make their way off the highway onto the nearest exit ramp. From there, the safest place is an off-road parking area.
Due to certain circumstances, said Vance, it is impossible to safely drive off the highway. In those cases, he said, make sure your vehicle is well-lit by applying the flashers or blinkers. If you must get out of the vehicle, exit via the opposite side of traffic and stay on the far side of any guardrails.
"If you have a cell phone, make sure your first call is to 911," he said.