Connecticut officials refute voter‑registration claims tied to Danbury crash

A woman named Melissa Esperanza Ramirez of Stamford was charged with manslaughter after a July 13 crash in Danbury that killed off‑duty police officer Cooper Whiteside and his passenger Brittany Islami. Media reports mistakenly linked the suspect to a voter‑registration record belonging to a different Melissa Esperanza Ramirez, a U.S. citizen residing in New Britain, and suggested the driver was an undocumented immigrant registered to vote. Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas and Governor Ned Lamont condemned the misinformation, stating “Melissa Esperanza Ramirez of Stamford … is not, and has never been, registered to vote in Connecticut.” They added that an innocent resident’s name and reputation were wrongly thrust into a national political debate. State officials emphasized that the voter record in question belongs to the New Britain citizen and warned that the reckless spread of false election claims undermines public trust.