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James Wyatt Fitzgerald, 29, of Danielson, is accused of leaving his disabled 2011 Hyundai Elantra partially in a travel lane on Thursday, Dec. 26, after striking a center median guardrail and a bridge on the right shoulder, Connecticut State Police said.
The crash occurred early Thursday morning on the northbound side of I-395 near Exit 28. The tanker, driven by a 49-year-old Rhode Island man, swerved to avoid the abandoned vehicle and rolled over, blocking traffic in both directions from Griswold and Plainfield.
The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital.
State police said the tanker driver reported seeing a disabled car “with no lights on in the roadway” but didn’t have enough time to avoid it. In the process, the tanker overturned. Although the contents did not spill, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection determined that attempting to right the tanker could cause a hazardous release.
Officials decided that a controlled release of the liquid nitrogen was the safest option before removing the tanker.
Fitzgerald was later located and charged with failure to maintain lane, evading responsibility, interfering with police, and improper parking, state police said.
The crash caused significant delays as crews worked to safely clear the scene and mitigate risks posed by the overturned tanker. The interstate was closed for several hours while crews performed the controlled release and worked to clear the scene.
State police continue to investigate the crash.
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