BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer
Carlee Wines The promising life of a University of Connecticut freshman from Manalapan ended in tragedy on Jan. 22. Carlee A. Wines, 19, of Manalapan, died from injuries she sustained in a Jan. 20 hit-and-run accident that occurred at the edge of the UConn campus in Storrs.
On Jan. 22 her parents called on the person who fled the accident scene to surrender to police and accept responsibility for killing their daughter.
They said, “We are living through a parent’s worst nightmare. For those who ever met our daughter, Carlee, even for a second, knew that she was a special young lady and in some way touched each and every one of their hearts.
“We are now praying for the help of the people of the great state of Con-necticut. For the person who was operating the vehicle – you have taken our precious daughter from this world. We pray and beg for you to now take responsibility. Carlee will be missed.”
Police were searching this week for a vehicle that was described as a white or light-colored Ford SUV or pickup truck that would have front-end damage.
According to a press release from the University of Connecticut Division of Public Safety, Wines, who was majoring in pre-kinesiology, was struck just before 2 a.m. Jan. 20 while she was walking along North Eagleville Road in Storrs.
Wines died on the morning of Jan. 22 at Hartford Hospital.
At UConn, she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
According to the press release, a vehicle traveling east on North Eagleville Road about one-quarter mile from Route 195 struck Wines just as she had stepped off the curb to cross the street.
Witnesses told police the vehicle then fled toward Route 195, said Richard Veilleux, a media relations spokesman for the university.
Wines was initially taken by ambulance to Rockville Hospital, Storrs, and then flown to Hartford Hospital, where she died two days after being struck.
University of Connecticut police are being assisted in their investigation by the Connecticut State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit.
Wines was a 2006 graduate of Manalapan High School. A moment of silence in her honor was observed in school on Jan. 22, according to students who were in the building.
During her time at Manalapan High School, Wines built an impressive résumé of achievement, according to Principal Anthony Procopio.
Reached on the afternoon of Jan. 22, Procopio spoke about Wines in glowing terms. He said Wines was in the school last week visiting with teachers and students while she was home on a break from college.
“She was a real sparkler, one of the most active students in the building while she was here,” Procopio said. “When I became the principal here midway through the 2005-06 school year, she reached out to me and made me feel welcome.”
Procopio recalled that Wines was selected as Manalapan’s homecoming queen in the fall of 2005. She was also a cheerleader and vice president of the Student Council. In the spring of 2006 Wines was a member of the first girls lacrosse team at Manalapan.
“She had a great sense of humor and she will be sorely missed,” the principal said.
In a December 2005 News Transcript article about a scholarship Wines had just received, Terri Grey, who was Manalapan’s principal at the time, called Wines “an exceptional young lady. She is my ‘point person’ for special projects as she has the ability to multi-task and produce high-quality results.”
The scholarship Wines received was a Principal’s Leadership Award, a $1,000 scholarship co-sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and Herff Jones Inc.
A press release from the Freehold Regional High School District stated that more than 5,400 applications were submitted by principals from across the country. A total of 150 students received awards. The winners were selected on the basis of their leadership skills, participation in service organizations and clubs, achievements in the arts and sciences, employment experience and academic record, according to the press release.
Amanda DePasquale of Manalapan was also a member of the Manalapan High School class of 2006. She said she had known Wines since kindergarten.
“She was such a sweet girl, really nice. She was very active in the athletic department. She was an all-around nice person who never put anyone down. We were in English class together last year and she was always wonderful to talk to and work with,” DePasquale said on Jan. 22.
News Transcript staff writers Kathy Baratta and Amy Rosen contributed to this story.