Improper Turn

Newtown Police report Justin Lanuto, 37, of Danbury, operating a 2017 Ford F350, was traveling west on Church Hill Road at 2:57 pm March 29. A 2010 Chevrolet Equinox owned by Mynor Garcia of Danbury was parked legally, unoccupied on the right hand shoulder. Lanuto’s vehicle left the roadway and struck the rear of Garcia’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Lanuto’s vehicle was towed.

Lanuto was issued an infraction for making an improper turn.

Truck Hits Building

Newtown Police report Elaine Connor, 30, of Port Reading, N.J., operating a 2019 Peterbilt 579 tractor trailer, was traveling southbound in the parking lot of 62 Church Hill Road at 7:35 am April 4. While negotiating a tight left hand turn around the building, the trailer struck the fascia of the store. Connor attempted to back out of the turn and the fascia punctured the side of the trailer, creating an approximately five foot wide hole in the trailer and removing approximately 20 feet of fascia from the building. The truck was also damaged from rubbing up against a retaining wall, and a tire on the trailer was punctured, the cause of which was unknown.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed.

No enforcement action was taken since the incident occurred on private property.

Did Not Grant Right Of Way

Newtown Police report Olivia Skowronski, 16, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2010 Nissan Altima, was traveling southbound on Oakview Road at 7:45 am April 8. Stephanie Alexander, 47, of Danbury, operating a 2014 Ford Explorer, was traveling westbound on Wasserman Way. Skowronski came to a stop at the stop sign at the intersection of Oakview Road and Wasserman Way, but failed to grant right of way to Alexander when attempting to make a left turn onto Wasserman Way, striking Alexander’s vehicle.

Alexander was transported to Danbury Hospital for possible injuries. Both vehicles were towed.

Skowronski was issued an infraction for failure to obey a stop sign.

Slid On Wet Pavement

Newtown Police report Patrick Camm, 18, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2009 Toyota Camry, was traveling south on Grays Plain Road at 10:56 am April 11. While negotiating a left hand curve, which was wet due to rain, the vehicle spun off the roadway right, striking a large stump before going down an embankment.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed.

Camm was issued an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions.

Struck Fallen Tree

Newtown Police report Richard Mitchell, 60, of Newtown, operating a 2020 Kia Sportage, was traveling westbound on Mt Pleasant Road at 6:09 am April 12. A tree had fallen from the eastbound shoulder of the road and was laying across all travel lanes. Mitchell struck and drove over a portion of the tree.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed.

No enforcement action was taken.

Rolled Vehicle

Newtown Police report Garnet Taylor, 50, of Bridgeport, operating a 2022 Honda Civic, was traveling northbound on Berkshire Road at 4:28 am April 14. Taylor’s vehicle left the roadway right and struck a rock, before rolling over onto its hood.

Taylor and a passenger were transported to Danbury Hospital for possible injuries. The vehicle was towed.

Taylor was issued an infraction for failure to maintain proper lane.

Distracted Driving Charge

Newtown Police report Jose Villavicencio, 45, of Danbury, operating a 2003 Honda Civic, was traveling eastbound on Berkshire Road at 3:05 pm April 15. He was traveling behind a 2022 Ford Transit T-250 operated by John Virgalla, 57, of Oxford. Virgalla stopped, and the front of Villavicencio’s vehicle hit the rear of Virgalla’s vehicle.

Virgalla was examined by EMS but not transported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Villavicencio was issued a misdemeanor summons for operating a vehicle while under suspension, distracted driving, and failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Truck Hit Mercedes

Newtown Police report Eric Revell, 43, of Bethel, operating a 2015 Ford F650, was traveling on Main Street at 4 pm April 15. He was traveling behind a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK320 operated by Robert Rinaldi, 64, of Newtown. Revell rear-ended Rinaldi’s vehicle as they approached the intersection with Sugar Street. Revell told police a bee had entered his vehicle and he had attempted to swat it away.

Rinaldi was transported to Danbury Hospital with a suspected minor injury. Neither vehicle was towed.

Revell was issued an infraction for failure to follow a reasonable distance apart by a commercial vehicle.

Went Through Red Light

Newtown Police report Susan Stark, 64, of Ridgefield, operating a 2019 Subaru Forester, was traveling eastbound on Church Hill Road at 4:29 pm April 16. Dana Browne, 53, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2019 Honda Pilot, was traveling southbound on the Boulevard. Stark went through a red light and struck Browne’s vehicle as Browne was attempting to enter the driveway at 32 Church Hill Road.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Stark was issued an infraction for failure to heed a traffic control signal and a verbal warning for failure to renew license.

Both Drivers Injured

Newtown Police report David Freedman, 68, of Brookfield, operating a 2022 Mazda CX-30, was traveling southbound on Currituck Road at 3:25 pm April 17. Joseph Halpin, 19, of Watertown, operating a 2014 BMW 335xi, was traveling northbound on Main Street. Freedman stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of Currituck Road and Main Street, then pulled into the intersection. Halpin veered left but struck Freedman’s vehicle.

Freedman and a passenger were both transported to Danbury Hospital for suspected minor injuries. Both vehicles were towed.

Freedman was issued an infraction for failure to grant right of way at a stop sign.

Truck Doesn’t Hit Bridge, Gets Hit By Car

Newtown Police report Cody Langhans, 18, of Naugatuck, operating a 1996 Ford F250, was traveling northbound on Swamp Road at 2:22 pm April 18. Rafael Figueroa-Irizar, 37, of Edison, N.J., operating a 2007 Hino 258 tractor trailer, was stopped on Botsford Hill Road facing east in the eastbound travel lane. Figueroa-Irizar told police that upon reaching a train bridge on Botsford Hill Road just past Swamp Road, he realized his trailer was too high to pass under the bridge and had stopped, intending to reverse and find an alternate route. The front of Langhans’ vehicle struck the rear of Figueroa-Irizar’s trailer.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Langhans was issued a verbal warning for following too close.

Tore Up Ball Field

Newtown Police report Fred Goebel, 83, of Newtown, operating a 2014 Honda Odyssey, at 4:35 pm April 18 drove his vehicle behind 11 Queen Street, the Newtown Middle School. He drove his vehicle onto the baseball field to search the tree line for a lost model airplane from the day prior. The vehicle sunk into the grass on the baseball outfield due to melted snow and recent rainfall. The vehicle continued across the field, causing damage, and into an area of mud and standing water to turn around. The vehicle became stuck and had to be towed, requiring several trucks and over 500 feet of chain.

No injuries were reported. Goebel was given an escort ride home and his vehicle was towed.

Fell Asleep

Newtown Police report Robert Ferreira, 21, of Danbury, operating a 2009 Honda CR-V, was traveling eastbound on Berkshire Road at 5:11 pm April 19. Andrew Visinski, 59, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2021 Ford F150, was traveling westbound on Berkshire Road. Ferreira told police he fell asleep, and his vehicle crossed the center line and struck the driver’s side of Visinski’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Ferreira was issued an infraction for failure to maintain lane.