Chris Cutler was 41.
NBC Connecticut reports that Cutler was driving on I-91 South in Wallingford when he hit a guard rail near exit 13. After going off the road and down an embankment, he was transferred to Yale New Haven Hospital where he passed away. He was just 41 years old.
While I never met Cutler in person, several of my co-workers in the Northeast did. He was a fixture at grassroots events, like 7’s Day in NYC where our Social Media Editor Maddox Kay first talked to him in 2022. Aaron Segal, product manager at The Drive‘s parent company, also met Cutler and his dog Cassius several times at car shows around the area. Both have nothing but great things to say about him, not only for his obvious ingenuity but also for his kindness.
“He was an absolute gem of a human,” Segal tells me. “Loved the community and loved sharing his build with everyone.”
“His ultimate goal was to drive all 48 states in that set up with his dog,” Segal recalls.
Respect and condolences have poured into the comment sections of Cutler’s Instagram, where he went by @nsxtra. That account has nearly 75,000 followers who loved seeing his daring projects, as well as the cool art they inspired.
This isn’t the type of post we normally run here on the site, but we want to remember Cutler and highlight what he’s done in the car community. We’re thinking of and praying for his family, friends, and all the people he reached with his enthusiasm. It’s never easy, especially with a guy as solid as Chris.
