Vigil held for state lawmaker killed in wrong way crash

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WFSB) - The state continues to mourn the loss of representative Quentin “Q” Williams.

Williams was killed by a wrong way driver yesterday morning which left his community in disbelief.

But one way people are trying to move forward is by uniting.

Tonight Williams friends, family, and the people he served were all bonded by love.

“I had to be here. You feel like you want do something when you feel like there is nothing you can do. But just being here, our presence, makes a difference. Being with people that knew him and loved him and his family and his wife just show them that we are here for them,” said Stefanie Leonard, a friend.

Friends say Q’s interactions weren’t small. The time he spent with someone impacted their life forever.

“In all of our interactions with people he would ask them ‘what can I do to help.’ It perplexed me as a 13 year old kid seeing another 13 year asking a teacher, a coach, community leader ‘what can I do to help,’ but that’s who he was,” said a childhood of friend of Q.

His smile was grand and his life was historic. Q was the first black senator to represent Middletown at the capitol.

“He showed up to these places that didn’t normalize a man like him being there, and boy did he took up space. Not only he took up space but his laughter took up space,” said Sasha Armstrong, a friend.

Williams leaves behind his wife, Dr. Carrissa Williams, and his biggest inspiration, his mom. A woman he admired so much he even changed his last name to honor her.

“When somebody we love dies a piece of them dies in our hearts. But we have to replace that piece in our heart with a quality we loved about them,” said Joanne Jukin.

Officials say tonight was only the beginning of many services.

If you have a story to share about Q, you can submit it to his memorial page HERE.

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