East Setauket Woman Killed in Car Accident in Connecticut

Laura Kavazanjian, 27, of East Setauket died in a one-car accident on Interstate 95 in Groton, Conn., early Saturday morning.

According to a report by , a 2001 Toyota Sienna, in which Kavazanjian was a passenger in the back seat, struck the base of a wire rope guide rail at approximately 1:30 a.m. and rolled over. Kavazanjian was thrown from the vehicle and responders pronounced her dead at the scene.

David Reidy, Kavazanjian’s fiancé, was driving the vehicle when it turned over onto its roof. The Newport, R.I., resident was transported to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Calls to the Kavazanjian residence on Brewster Hill Road in East Setauket were not returned. In a statement, Brown University president Ruth Simmons said, "The university has reached out to Laura's family to offer our deepest condolences and support at this most difficult time. We extend our sincere sympathy to all of Laura's classmates and friends, and join with them in mourning her tragic and untimely passing."

Simmons indicated in her statement that Kavazanjian had attended this weekend's commencement activities in Providence.

After graduating from Ward Melville in 2002, Kavazanjian earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Brown University in 2006, and in 2010, she received her master’s in international education policy from Harvard University.

She was heavily involved in non-profit efforts, including the Invest in Knowledge Initiative, in which she evaluated the USAID-funded Harvard Humanitarian Initiative in Haiti. Kavazanjian also advocated for girls’ education in third world countries such as Malawi and spent a year in Beijing, China, as an English teacher.

Kavazanjian was also an exceptional athlete. She played field hockey, track and lacrosse at Ward Melville. She was a three-time All-Conference selection on the field hockey pitch in 2000 and helped the Patriots to the state semifinals in 1998 and 2000. Kavazanjian went on to become a four-year starter in field hockey at Brown.