Hit Downed Poles

Newtown Police report Elizabeth Martell, 44, of Waterbury, operating a 2008 Toyota Highlander, was traveling northbound on Mt Pleasant Road at 12:42 am December 11. Three Eversource electric utility poles had broken and fallen in the roadway due to the storm. Martell’s vehicle struck one of the poles.

Martell was not injured. Her vehicle was towed.

Martell was issued a misdemeanor summons for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Five Charges Including Evading

Newtown Police report that at approximately 12:45 am December 15, officers were dispatched to the area of 109 Berkshire Road for a call about a possible motor vehicle accident. The caller told police he heard tires screeching and observed headlights continue westbound on Berkshire Road. Police located a Honda Accord with disabling damage in the area of Berkshire Road and Lone Oak Meadow Road.

Following an investigation, police determined the vehicle was heading westbound, and while negotiating a left curve in the road, it crossed the centerline and ran off the roadway, striking an embankment, which caused the vehicle to spin and strike a cluster of Frontier utility poles. The operator left the scene without notifying police, and was located a bit over a half mile west at Berkshire Road and Lone Oak Meadows.

Police say the operator provided false identifying information to police. He was later determined to be Nazario Rosado, 40, of Bridgeport.

Rosado was arrested and charged with interfering with an officer, making an improper turn, improper use of registration, operating while under suspension, and evading responsibility.

Rosado was released on a $500 cash bond and given a court date of January 3 in Danbury Superior Court.

Vehicle Break-Ins

Newtown Police have received multiple complaints since December 4 of vehicle break-ins, including several break-ins at the dirt parking lot on Wild Life Drive on December 17. Items taken were purses containing credit cards, health cards, and other personal effects.

The Newtown Police Department is reminding everyone to make sure all valuable personal property has been removed from your vehicle when left unattended and that the vehicle’s doors are locked.

These incidents are crimes of opportunity and can create an inconvenience for the victims.

Hit Tree In Heavy Rain

Newtown Police report Benjamin Struski, 52, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2016 Nissan Sentra, was traveling southbound on New Lebbon Road at 7:20 am December 18. While approaching the intersection with High Bridge Road, he collided with a large tree that had fallen across the roadway. Struski said he was unable to see the tree until it was too late due to heavy rain.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was not towed.

No enforcement action was taken.

Rear-Ended On Slippery Road

Newtown Police report Wendy Masecko, 28, of Bridgeport, operating a 2011 Honda CRV, was traveling on South Main Street at 4:34 pm December 18. She was traveling behind a 2009 Nissan Altima operated by Priscila Pereira, 41, of Fairfield. Pereira slowed down and Masecko said she could not slow down in time due to the slippery road.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Pereira was issued an infraction for operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Skidded On Black Ice

Newtown Police report Jason Linn, 40, of Danbury, operating a 2006 Subaru Impreza, was traveling northbound on South Main Street at 12:40 am December 20. Linn’s vehicle went off the roadway right while traveling through the intersection with Abbey Lane, and struck curbing. Linn told police he skidded on a patch of black ice. The State Department of Transportation was called to salt the curve due to the ice.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed.

No charges were mentioned in the report.

Ice Under Bridge

Newtown Police report that Robert Hunt, 23, of Bethel, operating a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro, was traveling eastbound on Botsford Hill Road at 1:15 am December 20. While negotiating a left-hand curve, Hunt lost control of his vehicle and went off the road, striking an embankment. Hunt told police he lost control on ice under the bridge.

A passenger complained of back pain but refused medical treatment. The vehicle was towed.

Hunt was given a verbal warning for traveling too fast for conditions.

Same Black Ice Causes Second Incident

Newtown Police report Antigua Nunez, 53, of Norwalk, operating a 2008 Honda Civic, was traveling northbound on South Main Street at 6:08 am December 20. The vehicle went off the roadway right, and struck a curb and then a utility pole at the intersection with Abbey Lane. Nunez said he skidded on black ice.

The State DOT had been called several times to salt the location.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed.

No enforcement action was taken.

Rear-Ended On Button Shop

Newtown Police report Khalil Vessup, 18, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2012 Ford Fusion, was traveling westbound on Button Shop Road at 12:42 pm December 20. He was traveling behind a 2019 Honda Insight operated by Stephanie Jones, 44, of Trumbull. Jones stopped at the intersection with South Main Street and Vessup did not stop in time, hitting Jones’ vehicle front to back.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Vessup received a verbal warning for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

DUI Charge

Newtown Police report that at 10:38 pm December 20, officers responded to a residence on Diamond Drive for the report of an unknown man attempting to climb a fence on a property. Officers arrived on the scene and identified the man as Aiden Braddock, 18, of Newtown. An investigation found that Braddock was under the influence of an intoxicant. Braddock was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs under the age of 21.

Braddock was released on a $250 bond and given a court date of January 3 in Danbury Superior Court.

Uninvolved Car Causes Collision

Newtown Police report Jacob Russell, 26, of Fairfield, operating a 2012 Volkswagen Golf, was traveling northbound on South Main Street at 12:36 pm December 21. He was traveling behind a 1999 Chevrolet G3500 operated by Miguel Ortiz, 30, of New Haven. A northbound vehicle that was uninvolved in the collision signaled to turn into a driveway and braked suddenly, causing traffic to the rear to also quickly decelerate. Russell was unable to stop and attempted to avoid the collision, but rear-ended Ortiz’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Russell was issued a written warning for following too close.

Erratic Vehicle, DUI & Other Charges

Newtown Police report that at 10:52 pm December 21, officers responded to the area of South Main Street for the report of a vehicle being operated erratically. Officers located the vehicle and executed a motor vehicle stop on Church Hill Road.

Ebelton Verissimo-Decarvalho, 42, of Danbury, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to maintain lane, and traveling unreasonably fast.

Verissimo-Decarvalho was released on a $500 bond with a court date of January 4 in Danbury Superior Court.

Unsafe Passing

Newtown Police report Jacqueline Norvell, 84, of Newtown, operating a 2007 Audi A6, was traveling northbound on Queen Street at 1:23 pm December 22. She was traveling behind a 2019 Ford TK operated by Lawrence Cottle, 32, of Waterbury. Cottle stopped at the driveway of 14 Queen Street and was in the process of turning. Norvell attempted to pass on the left and the front passenger side of his vehicle struck the front driver side of Cottle’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Norvell was issued an infraction for unsafe passing.

Police Investigate Stopped Car

Newtown Police report that at 11:49 pm December 22, the department received a call of a suspicious vehicle stopped on Saw Mill Ridge Road at the intersection of Westwood Terrace for an extended period of time. The vehicle was reported to be occupied.

Upon arrival, officers began an investigation, and the vehicle operator, Luis Cruz, 32, of Stratford, was taken into custody and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Cruz was released on a $500 bond with a court date of January 2 in Danbury Superior Court.

Collision In Sand Hill Plaza

Newtown Police report Jacob Kubik, 20, of Monroe, operating a 2015 Chrysler 200, was traveling southbound in the TJ Maxx parking lot in the Sand Hill Plaza on South Main Street at 3:56 pm December 23. Ian Wilk, 32, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2008 Hyundai Elantra, was traveling eastbound through the plaza, attempting to exit. The right front corner of Kubik’s vehicle struck the left front corner of Wilk’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Wilk’s vehicle was towed from the scene.

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

Too Fast For Conditions

Newtown Police report Timothy Tolbert, 29, of Plainville, operating a 2019 Honda Civic, was traveling westbound on Hawleyville Road at 12:29 am December 24. Zoraida Artieda-Tejada, 54, of Bridgeport, operating a 2021 Hyundai Venue, was traveling westbound on Hawleyville Road ahead of Tolbert. Artieda-Tejada slowed and entered the left turn lane towards Currituck Road. The front of Tolbert’s vehicle struck the rear of Artieda-Tejada’s vehicle.

A passenger in Tolbert’s vehicle was transported to Danbury Hospital with a possible minor injury. Tolbert’s vehicle was towed.

Tolbert was issued an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions and following too close.

Evading Charge

Newtown Police report Angel Romero-Lema, 41, of Newtown, operating a 2007 Toyota Camry, was traveling northbound on South Main Street at 2:44 am December 24. Romero-Lema’s vehicle left the northbound lane of travel, crossed multiple southbound lanes, and then collided with a guardrail fence. Romero-Lema left the scene and came to a stop in front of 63 Main Street, The Taunton Press.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed due to disabling damage.

Romero-Lema was issued a misdemeanor summons for evading responsibility for property damage.