UConn student and former track star, 22, dies after crashing SUV into tree

A 22-year-old University of Connecticut senior and former track and field athlete, Zachary Barry, has died after crashing his SUV into a utility pole and tree in Mansfield, Connecticut.

According to Connecticut State Police, Barry was driving a 2016 Volvo XC60 westbound on Huntington Lodge Road shortly after midnight on Wednesday, September 16, when he crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed.

He was the only person in the vehicle.

First responders rescued Barry from the wreckage and he was airlifted to Hartford Hospital, where he died at 2:43am from injuries sustained in the crash.

Barry enrolled at UConn in 2022 and was studying plant science with a concentration in turfgrass. He competed on the university’s men’s track and field team from 2022 to 2024 and was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity.

Before attending university, Barry was a standout athlete in high school, winning the 800-metre state title as a junior before claiming the 800-metre, 1600-metre and mile titles in his senior year.

UConn officials said Barry had also spent the summer interning at Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey, where he worked in course conditioning and turf health management.

The university expressed condolences to his family and friends following his death.

Authorities said a crash detection alert from a mobile device helped alert emergency services to the accident.