By THOMAS BREEN | New Haven Independent
City firefighters mourned yet another death of one of their own as they gathered at the Lombard Street station to remember Thomas Mieles, a 27-year-old Fair Havener who died Wednesday night in a five-vehicle car crash on I‑91.
Thursday morning’s press conference at the department’s 412 Lombard St. station took place roughly 12 hours after Mieles, who lived on Atwater Street and was a Wilbur Cross High School graduate, was struck and killed by a car while off-duty standing just south of Exit 8 on I‑91 at around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday. (See below for more details on what happened.)
“Thomas loved the fire department,” Fire Chief John Alston said on Thursday while standing alongside Mayor Justin Elicker, city fire union President Patrick Cannon, and a host of fellow top fire department officials and members of the Lombard Street Station.
“One of the most exciting things he had was to work in this house. Growing up in this neighborhood and being able to protect his own neighborhood, I understand how proud he was.”
Mieles was “a person you always knew [when he] walked into the room,” said Ibrahim Cheek, a fire department classmate of Mieles, who became a city firefighter only in January. He was “very full of life. Very enthusiastic. Loved his job. A real good-hearted person.” He “talked a lot,” Cheek said with a smile as his fellow Lombard Street station colleagues put their hands on his shoulders in support, “but very good hearted.
“He was extremely proud to serve his city, just like all of us are. A really big loss. A really big hit to the department. I’m just glad I had the chance to know him.”
Mieles’ death comes one year after the city fire department lost fellow firefighters Ricardo Torres, 30, to an on-duty death and William McMillian, 27, to an off-duty death.
“Here we are again. Another awful day for the New Haven Fire Department,” fire union President Cannon said on Thursday. “We stand here with our hearts full of sorrow. We’ve lost another brother. A young, energetic, full of life firefighter.”
Mayor Justin Elicker said that he and Alston and several other top firefighters joined Mieles’ family at the hospital Wednesday night. “It’s just so tragic for the family,” Elicker said. He described Mieles as “a New Haven kid” who went to Wilbur Cross, “lived around the corner on Atwater Street” and “was a longtime member of our community.”
“The loss for our community is just incredible,” the mayor said.
Alston said that he also responded to Wednesday night’s car crash and was expecting to have to manage “a major traffic accident.”
“Never in our wildest dreams did we realize that the person that was being rescued and resusciated was one of our own,” he said. “It’s been a very difficult time for our department.”