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Numerous Crashes, Stuck Vehicles Reported Throughout Area Numerous Crashes, Stuck Vehicles Reported Throughout Area
Numerous Crashes, Stuck Vehicles Reported Throughout Area This story has been updated with new incidents. A wintry mix of snow and sleet has overspread the area, marking the arrival of a rare pre-Thanksgiving winter storm, and numerous crashes had already been reported as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Throughout the evening, vehicles have been reported stuck on numerous roadways with local police agencies warning motorists of the hazardous conditions. Many side streets quickly became impassable. Here's a rundown of incidents reported starting late afternoon through the evening commute. Westchester County Eastbound I-287 in Westchester, crash blocking…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Sound The Alarm: Crashes Spike When Daylight Saving Ends, AAA Says Sound The Alarm: Crashes Spike When Daylight Saving Ends, AAA Says
Sound The Alarm: Crashes Spike When Daylight Saving Ends, AAA Says While many were glad to get an extra hour of sleep due to the end of Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, AAA is cautioning that commuters need to be wary of drowsy driving due to the clock shift. Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. during the evening commute, when the sky turns to twilight, crashes spike by 45 percent in the region, according to AAA, citing the end of Daylight Saving Time. “Even though we feel we’re getting an extra hour of sleep, time changes do affect our internal body clocks,” AAA Northeast spokesperson Fran Mayko said. “So it’s important drivers prepare and make lifestyle adjustments…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Woman Under Influence With Teen Aboard Nearly Hits Other Cars At Wilton Town Center, Police Say Woman Under Influence With Teen Aboard Nearly Hits Other Cars At Wilton Town Center, Police Say
Woman Under Influence With Teen Aboard Nearly Hits Other Cars At Wilton Town Center, Police Say A 51-year-old local woman was arrested after police received reports of an erratic driver almost hitting other vehicles at the Wilton Town Center. Melissa Calafell of Wilton was arrested on Thursday, Nov. 1 after Wilton Police officers responded and were able to locate her just as she was pulling into her home in Wilton, said Lt. Robert Kluk. After talking with Calafell, officers noticed that she was intoxicated and that she had a 13-year-old female juvenile inside the car with her.  Calafell failed the standard field sobriety tests and was arrested for DUI and DUI with a person under…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Connecticut Increases Fine For Following Too Closely Connecticut Increases Fine For Following Too Closely
Connecticut Increases Fine For Following Too Closely Police agencies in Connecticut are reminding motorists to keep their distance when on local roadways. The State of Connecticut added new laws to the books this year, the Greenwich Police Department noted in an alert issued on Halloween. Now, when motorists are following too closely and it results in a crash, they will be fined $245. That fine goes up to $395 if it happens in a construction zone. According to the Greenwich Police Department, in 2017, approximately 36 percent of all crashes in Connecticut were attributed to motorists following too closely to another vehicle. Of those crashes,…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Driver Identified In Fatal Crash That Caused Hourslong I-95 Closure, Injured Greenwich Woman Driver Identified In Fatal Crash That Caused Hourslong I-95 Closure, Injured Greenwich Woman
Driver Identified In Fatal Crash That Caused Hourslong I-95 Closure, Injured Greenwich Woman A 63-year-old man was killed when the bed of the dump truck he was driving hit an overpass sign on I-95, ejecting him from the vehicle. Anthony Edward Drozd of Middletown was killed around 7:45 a.m. Thursday during the crash that closed I-95 for around seven hours, said Connecticut State Police. According to police, the crash occurred when Drozd was traveling in the right lane of three, just ahead of another vehicle driven by Susan Jackson of Greenwich when the bed of his 27,600-pound truck became raised or was unintentionally left in the raised position. Seeing the raised bed, J…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Limo That Crashed, Killing 20, Failed Inspection, Driver Did Not Have Proper License Limo That Crashed, Killing 20, Failed Inspection, Driver Did Not Have Proper License
Limo That Crashed, Killing 20, Failed Inspection, Driver Did Not Have Proper License The stretch limousine involved in the horrific crash that killed 20 adults over the weekend near Albany failed an inspection in September and was not supposed to be on the road, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday afternoon. The limo driver, identified as 53-year-old Scott Lisinicchia, also did not have the proper license to operate the vehicle, Cuomo told reporters at the Columbus Day Parade in New York City. Cuomo said the state is working on getting a cease-and-desist order to prevent the limousine company, Prestige Limousine, from operating until the National Transportation Safety Bo…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Woman Extricated In Two-Vehicle Fairfield County Crash Woman Extricated In Two-Vehicle Fairfield County Crash
Woman Extricated In Two-Vehicle Fairfield County Crash A woman was extricated after a two-vehicle crash on I-84 late Saturday night. The crash occurred just before 11 p.m. in Bethel between exits 8 and 9, where responders from Bethel, Danbury and Brookfield converged on the scene.  Danbury Engine 24 was the first unit to arrive, finding the woman injured and unable to get out of a small minivan that was on its side, said James Gagliardo, public information officer of the Danbury Fire Department.  Lt. Ted Mourges coordinated the rescue effort while Deputy Chief Bernie Meehan worked with the chiefs of Stony Hill, Bethel, and Brookfield Fire Depa…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
One Killed After Car Crashes Into DOT Truck On I-95 One Killed After Car Crashes Into DOT Truck On I-95
One Killed After Car Crashes Into DOT Truck On I-95 One person was killed when a car crashed into a Department of Transportation truck Saturday morning, causing the hours-long closure of a stretch of southbound I-95 in Connecticut. The incident occurred near Exit 65 at around 7:19 a.m., state police said. The car entered a work zone off of the shoulder of the road in Westbrook and slammed into a tree-trimming bucket truck. The driver of the car was killed, according to DOT. After becoming stuck in the bucket after the crash, the DOT worker was extricated and did not suffer any injuries. The identity of the victim has not yet been released. …

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by Daily Voice
Police & Fire
Here's How Many Tickets CT State Police Dished Out Over Labor Day Weekend Here's How Many Tickets CT State Police Dished Out Over Labor Day Weekend
Here's How Many Tickets CT State Police Dished Out Over Labor Day Weekend The sheer numbers tell the story.Connecticut State Police troopers didn't get much rest and relaxation over the Labor Day weekend. Troopers dished out a total of nearly 4,000 tickets for everything from speeding to aggressive driving during the crackdown, which ran from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3. Here's a breakdown: 1,314 speeding tickets  2,474 total tickets for other hazardous moving violations (including unsafe lane change, following too closely, cell phone, texting, etc.).  Troopers also arrested 24 people for DUI and investigated 281 accidents with no fatalities. 

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
School Crossing Guard Struck By Vehicle In Fairfield County School Crossing Guard Struck By Vehicle In Fairfield County
School Crossing Guard Struck By Vehicle In Fairfield County A school crossing guard was hit by a car and briefly pinned while on duty. The incident took place in Stamford around noon Thursday when a patrol officer was flagged down on the report of a person being hit by a car on Stillwater Avenue and Virgil Street, said the Stamford Police. The officer responded to the scene and found an 83-year-old school crossing guard on the ground next to two vehicles. He was alert but in pain, they said. The driver that struck the crossing guard, identified as Iris Morales-Cante, 18, told the officer she came out of Virgil Street and made a right hand turn onto…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
With Schools Opening, Police Warn Motorists Of $465 Bus Violation Penalties With Schools Opening, Police Warn Motorists Of $465 Bus Violation Penalties
With Schools Opening, Police Warn Motorists Of $465 Bus Violation Penalties With schools set to open up for the year in the coming days, police departments in Fairfield County are cautioning motorists to be safe around school buses, or else they may face a hefty fine. “School buses will be hitting the roads again, and we urge you to drive with caution and never drive distracted,” police said, noting that violations will be “strictly enforced” and carry penalties that include fines of no less than $465.  According to AAA, every day, about 500,000 school buses transport more than 23 million students to and from school. However, each year, nationally, about 24 school-…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Driving Drunk Plows Into Patrol Cruiser On I-95, Police Say Man Driving Drunk Plows Into Patrol Cruiser On I-95, Police Say
Man Driving Drunk Plows Into Patrol Cruiser On I-95, Police Say A 28-year-old man driving drunk hit the back of a Connecticut State Trooper cruiser on I-95 that was stopped to help another driver, according to state police. The crash occurred around 8 p.m. Friday when Douglas Alqueza of East Lyme was traveling northbound on I-95 near Old Lyme when he hit a set of flares set out by the trooper and then slammed into the back of the cruiser, said the Connecticut State Police. The trooper, who was not injured, had set out a flare pattern and was waiting with a driver for a tow truck when Alqueza drove into the vehicle, state police said.  Alqueza, who fail…

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by Kathy Reakes