BRIDGEPORT — A 41-year-old Westport mother of three was killed in a multi-vehicle pile-up on Route 8 Sunday night caused by a wrong-way driver.

Monica Wilson, of 1655 Post Road East — the Sasco Creek Village housing complex — died at Bridgeport Hospital from injuries she suffered when the Acura she was driving south on the highway was struck head-on by a Ford van heading north in the southbound lanes, according to the State Police report.

Two of Wilson’s sons — ages 8 and 7 — were passengers in her car and suffered injuries that police said were not life-threatening.

That crash triggered a chain-reaction collision involving two other vehicles in the southbound lanes, which shut down the highway from about 8:30 p.m. Sunday for approximately five hours.

Ananias Castillo-Icabalzela, 47, of Bridgeport, a passenger in the wrong-way van, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The van driver, Wilber Martinez, 35, of Bridgeport, was transported to St. Vincent’s Medical Center, where he was reported in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

The drivers of the two other vehicles struck by the wrong-way also were hospitalized, but State Police said their injuries were not life-threatening.

The accident remains under investigation by State Police.

Wilson, whose death came a day before her 42nd birthday on Monday, worked as the office manager at Broad River Animal Hospital in Norwalk. 

The veterinary center, where Wilson worked 18 years, was closed Monday, according to its Facebook page, because fellow employees were grieving “a great loss of one of our Broad River family members over the weekend. Due to this tragic event we have decided to close the hospital to ensure the wellbeing of our team members.” 

On Tuesday, the hospital posted another Facebook message and photos about Wilson, saying in part: “Our hearts are broken. Monica was our sunshine and our glue. For the past 18-1/2 years she brought her never-ending smile, her enthusiasm, and her love and kindness to the pets and people of Broad River Animal Hospital.”

Many commenters on the posting expressed shock over Wilson’s death, and noted how kind and caring she was to animals under the hospital’s care, and was warm and welcoming to the pets’ owners.

Many similar messages mourning Wilson were posted on various social-media sites.