The stretch of Interstate 95 North near Stamford’s Exit 6 became the scene of an unimaginable tragedy last week when a 34-year-old local man, Jose Daniel Martinez-Perez, was fatally struck not once, but four separate times, left for dead by the majority of drivers involved. Connecticut State Police have confirmed the devastating details, casting a harsh light on the callous actions of at least three motorists who chose to speed away from the mangled wreckage, leaving a man’s life to end alone on the concrete.
It was just after the sun was attempting to rise, around 6:24 a.m. on November 19, when the nightmare unfolded. State Police say Martinez-Perez, a Stamford resident, was somehow located in the right travel lane of the northbound highway. He was first hit by an initial vehicle, an impact so forceful it tragically hurled his body across the pavement and into the far left side of the highway. That first driver, however, didn’t stop to help.
The horrific sequence only escalated from there. According to investigators, after being propelled across multiple lanes of heavy early-morning traffic, Martinez-Perez was subsequently struck by at least two additional vehicles. Each of these drivers, facing an emergency and a man lying helpless on the roadway, also made the devastating decision to keep going, fleeing the scene and the responsibility of their involvement.
In a heartbreaking detail that underscores the speed and chaos of the situation, a fourth vehicle, which was reportedly merging into the left lane at the time, simply could not avoid colliding with him. This fourth driver is assisting police, but their inability to stop the impact highlights just how quickly and violently Martinez-Perez’s life was taken, compounded by the sheer number of cars involved.
State Police are now actively seeking any and all information regarding the three hit-and-run vehicles. While police haven’t released specific makes or models of the cars that fled, investigators are surely looking for vehicles that likely sustained significant front-end or undercarriage damage. This isn’t just a search for an accident; it’s a critical pursuit of justice for a life abandoned. Troopers have been appealing to the public, hoping that someone—a late-night commuter, a truck driver, or even a mechanic who noticed mysterious damage—can provide the key to locating the three individuals who left the scene of a fatal crash.
This incident is more than just a tragic highway statistic; it’s a profound loss being felt across the Stamford community. While obituaries begin to circulate, painting a picture of a 34-year-old man who was someone’s son, friend, or coworker, the central focus remains on the sheer inhumanity of the event. To strike a person and then drive away, allowing subsequent vehicles to collide with them, is a level of disregard that shocks even the most seasoned police officers and reporters.
The Connecticut State Police Major Crime Squad continues its rigorous investigation, urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or who has information about the three fleeing vehicles, to step forward. For Jose Daniel Martinez-Perez and his grieving loved ones, the pursuit of these three drivers is not just about solving a crime—it’s about restoring a basic sense of accountability and humanity to a terrible, chaotic morning on I-95.
