Katherine Gavidia of Hamden was killed just before midnight Thursday near Exit 8 in New Haven, said Connecticut State Police.
An accident report provided by the state police said Gavidia was driving a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu south when she drove head-on into a Chevy Silverado driven by Thomas Murray, 29, of Cheshire.
Both drivers were trapped in their vehicles and had to be extricated, the state police said.
Gavidia was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, the report said.
Murray was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment.
An investigation into the crash has not revealed why Gavidia was driving in the wrong direction.
The crash caused an hours-long closure of the highway as troopers worked to rescue victims and recreate the accident scene.
An investigation is ongoing.
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