Grays Plain Collision

Police report a two-vehicle accident about 11 am on February 7 on Grays Plain Road, near its intersection with High Rock Road.

Police said Abdiel Jose Amezquita-Plumey, 25, of Bridgeport, who was driving a 2013 Freightliner Sprinter commercial van, was pulling out of a driveway on Grays Plain Road, as motorist John William Riley, 19, of Sandy Hook was driving a 2001 Chevrolet Blazer SUV on that street.

The two vehicles collided. Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps treated both men for pain at the scene and they both declined ambulance transport, police said. Sandy Hook volunteer firefighters went to the accident.

Police said Amezquita-Plumey received an infraction for failure to grant the right of way. Police report they issued Riley an infraction for driving an unregistered vehicle.

Van Vs Van

Police report a two-van accident occurring on southbound South Main Street, near Greenbriar Lane, about 8:24 am on February 5.

Dennis Mostowy, 25, of Shelton, who was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Express van, stopped for traffic conditions and was then struck from behind by a 2000 Chevrolet Express van driven by Leonardo DaSilva, no age given, of Danbury, police said.

There were no injuries. DaSilva received a verbal warning for following too closely and also received an infraction for driving without a license, police said. Mostowy received an infraction for driving an unregistered vehicle, according to police.

Botsford Hill Road

About 8:58 am on February 5, motorist Fritz Maignan, 52, of Bridgeport, who was driving a 2004 Lexus SUV northward on Botsford Hill Road, near Little Brook Lane, stopped for traffic conditions and was then struck from behind by motorist Timothy Echeverria, 17, of Newtown, who was driving a 2016 Subaru Impreza, according to police. There were no injuries.

DUI Arrest 

Police report that at about 1:22 am on February 3, they stopped a vehicle on Main Street, near its intersection with Church Hill Road, which they had observed traveling between two lanes on South Main Street, near its intersection with Sugar Street.

After investigating, police charged motorist Darlene Riolo, 52, of New Milford with driving under the influence and with failure to drive to the right. After arrest processing, Riolo posted $100 bail and was released for a February 21 appearance in Connecticut Superior Court in Danbury.

I-84 Accident

Motorist Kathie Graber, 61, of Belmont, N.H., was driving a 2017 Ford Escape SUV eastward on Interstate 84 about 11:07 am, on February 1, when she slowed for traffic conditions and was then struck from behind by an eastbound 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer auto driven by Carmen Lopez, 54, of Danbury, state police said.

There were no injuries. Lopez received a written warning for following too closely.

Four Charges

Police report that at about 1:49 pm on February 1, they stopped motorist Courtney Bennett, 29, of Bridgeport near the intersection of Toddy Hill Road and Longview Road to investigate.

Police charged Bennett with traveling unreasonably fast, failure to have a driver's license, failure to have automotive insurance, and interfering with police. Bennett was released for a February 15 court appearance.

Three Vehicles

A three-vehicle collision occurred on northbound Toddy Hill Road, about 200 feet north of its intersection with Quarry Ridge Road, about 3 pm on February 1.

Police said William McNamara, 32, of Trumbull, who was driving a 2014 Freightliner Sprinter 3500 truck, stopped as he approached a school bus that had its flashing lights operating. Motorist Donald Cole, 73, of Sandy Hook, who was driving a 2013 Cadillac CTS auto, then stopped behind the Freightliner, police said.

Cleber Pimentada-Costa, 35, of Danbury, who was driving a 2010 Ford Econoline E-250 van, then struck the rear end of the Cadillac, pushing the Cadillac into the rear end of the Freightliner.

There were no injuries. Pimentada-Costa received an infraction for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Berkshire Road

At about 5:10 pm on February 1, motorist William Smetana, 52, of Southbury, who was driving a 2001 Infiniti QX-4 SUV eastward on Berkshire Road, about 300 feet west of its intersection with Toddy Hill Road, stopped in some traffic congestion and was then struck from behind by eastbound motorist Shihai Lu, 35, of Danbury, who was driving a 2005 Honda Accord auto, police said.

There were no injuries. Lu received an infraction for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart and for distracted driving.

South Main Collision

Police report that at about 5:38 pm on February 1, motorist Antonia Fotinopoulos, 56, of Newtown, who was driving a 2002 Subaru Outback northward on South Main Street, stopped and was signalling to make a left turn onto Elm Drive, when the Subaru was struck from behind by northbound motorist Courtney Young, 40, of Middlebury, who was driving a 2008 Toyota RAV-4 SUV.

Police said that Fotinopoulos and a Subaru passenger reported pain and were checked at the scene by Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, but refused medical transport. Young received an infraction for following too closely.

Mercedes Vs Mailbox

Police report that at about 7:46 am on January 30, amid slippery conditions, motorist Kaleb Rowe, 22, of Sandy Hook, who was driving a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-300 auto eastward near 16 Jeremiah Road, went off the road's right shoulder and struck a curbside mailbox.

There were no injuries. Police verbally warned Rowe for traveling too fast for conditions.

Mt Pleasant Collision

Motorist Dale O'Brien, 77, of Newtown, who was driving a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser at about 1:29 pm on January 30, was pulling out of a driveway at 119 Mt Pleasant Road in order to make a left turn to go northward, as motorist Kevin Opinski, 30, of Bethel was driving a 2017 Jeep Wrangler SUV southward on Mt Pleasant Road, police said.

The two vehicles collided. Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps treated O'Brien at the scene and did not transport her, police said. O'Brien received an infraction for failure to grant the right of way, according to police.

Georges Hill Road

At about 2:02 pm on January 29, motorist Thomas Ramsdell, 68, of Newtown was driving a 2007 GMC Canyon pickup truck northward on Georges Hill Road, when the vehicle went off the left road shoulder and struck a curbside mailbox made of stones at 69 Georges Hill Road, police said. The loosened stones then struck a SUV that parked in the driveway, police report. There were no injuries. Police said they verbally warned Ramsdell for making a restricted turn.

Warrant

After learning that police held a warrant for his arrest, Joseph Montanaro, 20, of White Plains, N.Y., went to the police station about 5:19 pm on January 30 and was charged with failure to respond to a payable infraction.

Police report that in the past, they had issued Montanaro an infraction ticket on charges of possession of less than one-half ounce of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Montanaro, however, did not pay the fine associated with those violations or plead not guilty to those charges, so police received an arrest warrant for him.

After processing, police released Montanaro on $286 bail for a February 13 appearance in Connecticut Superior Court in Danbury.

Flagpole Accident

A two-vehicle accident occurred at the Main Street flagpole intersection at about 6:08 am on January 30.

Police report that motorist Reggie Gonsalves, 38, of Windsor, was driving a 2015 Ford Transit van westward on Church Hill Road and then attempted to make a left turn to go southward on Main Street, as motorist Thomas Smith, 65, of Bethel, was driving a 1993 Volvo 940 auto northward on Main Street.

The two vehicles collided. Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported Gonsalves to Danbury Hospital for treatment of a suspected minor injury. Newtown Hook & Ladder volunteer firefighters went to the accident. Police gave Gonsalves an infraction for failure to obey a stop sign.

Three MV Charges

At about 1:18 pm on January 29, after slowing for traffic conditions, motorist John Bivona, 53, of Bethel, who was driving a 1999 Dodge Ram pickup truck on eastbound Interstate 84, near Exit 11, was struck from behind by a 2003 Ford Windstar minivan driven by Martin Manzano, 44, of Danbury, according to state police.

There were no injuries. State police issued Manzano a misdemeanor summons on charges of following too closely, failure to have automotive insurance, and driving with a suspended license.

Two Incidents

State police and town police report that a local man was involved in two separate incidents early on the morning of January 28.

State police said that at about 4:02 am, motorist David Cortina, 24, of Newtown, who was driving a 2006 BMW 325-XI auto westward on Interstate 84, west of Exit 9, drifted into a parallel travel lane and struck a 2017 Honda CR-V SUV driven by Glaucia Day, 38, of Danbury. State police said that Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported two Honda passengers to Danbury Hospital for medical evaluations.

Neither vehicle was towed from the scene, state police said. Cortina was issued an infraction for failure to maintain the proper lane, according to state police.

Newtown police said that at about 5:05 am, they received a call regarding a dispute at a local residence, so they responded. After investigating that incident, police said they charged Cortina with driving under the influence, evading responsibility, and violation of a protective order.

After arrest processing, police held Cortina on $5,000 bail for arraignment on those three charges on January 29 in Connecticut Superior Court in Danbury. Cortina pleaded not guilty to the three charges at his arraignment. On January 30, Cortina was being held on $5,000 bail at Bridgeport Correctional center for a February 8 court appearance.

Impersonation

State police said that during a motor vehicle stop, which they made on Interstate 84 at about 2:20 am on January 27, Thanikki Thyron Scott, 45, provided a false identity to them.

State police charged Scott with criminal impersonation, interfering with police, and with driving while under suspension. Scott posted $500 bail and was then released for a February 7 court appearance.

Four Violations

After learning that police held a warrant for his arrest, Ian Hull, 31, of New Milford went to the police station on the afternoon of January 27 was charged with two counts of second-degree harassment and two counts of second-degree threatening, stemming from a December 25 incident, according to police.

Following processing, police released Hull on $3,500 surety bail for a February 8 court appearance.

Sandy Hook Accident

Police report a two-SUV accident at the intersection of Toddy Hill Road and Still Hill Road about 1 pm on January 26.

In that incident, motorist Christine Monti, 50, of Southbury, who was driving a 2016 Ford Escape, stopped for traffic conditions at the intersection and was then struck from behind by motorist Cheryl Barnaby, 63, of Woodbury, who was driving a 2005 Honda CR-V, police said. The Honda then struck a stone wall, according to police.

There were no injuries. Barnaby received a written warning for following too closely.

Off the Curve

Motorist David Mercier, 17, of New Milford was driving a 2007 Chrysler Sebring eastward near 3 Dinglebrook Lane at about 6:44 pm on January 26, when while negotiating a curve in the road, he went off the right road shoulder, struck a curbside mailbox, and then struck a tree, police report.

Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps went to the accident, but Mercier refused treatment, police said. Police issued Mercier an infraction for making a restricted turn.

I-84 Rollover

At about 2 pm on January 24, motorist Brendan Nixon, 21, of Southbury, who was driving a 2003 Nissan Altima westward on Interstate 84, near Exit 9, lost control of the vehicle after encountering a sandy area on the pavement, state police said. The auto than spun out and rolled over onto its side, according to state police.

Nixon was transported by Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Danbury Hospital as a precautionary measure, state police said. Nixon was verbally warned for failure to maintain the proper lane.

Warrant

Police said that after learning that they held a warrant for her arrest, Maria Piazza, 55, of Sandy Hook, went to the police station on the afternoon of January 24 and was charged with second-degree failure to appear in court.

The original charges in the case were traveling unreasonably fast and driving while under suspension, based on a March 8, 2017, vehicular incident. Piazza has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

After processing, police released Piazza on $1,000 surety bail for a February 7 court appearance.

Church Hill Crash

At about 6 pm on January 24, motorist William Stenson, 69, of Westport, was driving a 2003 BMW Z-4 roadster westward on Church Hill Road, as motorist Neil Wong, 53, of Newtown, who was driving a 2016 Acura MDX SUV, was pulling out of a driveway at 28 Church and turning right to travel eastward on Church Hill Road, police said.

The BMW then attempted to make a left turn to enter the driveway at 30 Church Hill Road, resulting in the two vehicles colliding.

There were no injuries. Police issued Stenson a written warning for a moving violation.

Rear-Ender

State police said that during the morning rush, at about 8:25 am on January 23, on westbound Interstate 84, about 500 feet west of Exit 10, motorist Eric Asare, 24, of Derby, who was driving a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder SUV, struck the rear end of 2004 Honda Accord driven by Lynda Austin-Keller, 31, of Bristol.

There were no injuries. Asare received an infraction for following too closely.

Intersection Collision

Police report a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Wasserman Way and Mile Hill Road South about 11:14 am on January 22.

Involved in the accident were motorist Kenneth Loerzel, 68, of Sandy Hook, who was driving a 2016 Honda Civic, and motorist Michael Csanadi, 79, of Newtown, who was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. There were no injuries. Police said they issued Loerzel a written warning for failure to grant the right of way.

BMW Crash

Police report a one-vehicle accident on Greenbriar Lane, about 1,000 feet west of its intersection with Southbrook Lane, about 11:37 am on January 20.

Motorist Joseph Crego, 22, of Oakville, was driving a 2014 BMW 535-XI auto and while he was drinking some coffee, the vehicle went off the roadway and struck a boulder and a utility pole.

There were no injuries. Police issued Crego an infraction for making a restricted turn.

Flagpole Intersection

Police report a two-vehicle collision at the Main Street flagpole intersection about 3:32 pm on January 19.

Motorist Colby Fowler, 16, of Newtown was driving a 1997 Ford F-250 pickup truck northward on Main Street, when motorist Margaret Leach, 71, of Newtown, who was driving a 2005 Saab 9-5 auto westward on Church Hill Road, turned right and entered northbound Main Street, police said.

The two vehicles collided. There were no injuries. Police issued Leach an infraction for a stop sign violation.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-304394" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/SH_South-Main-St-minivan-vs-tree-WATERMARKED.jpg" alt="SH_South Main St minivan vs tree WATERMARKED" width="800" height="423" /]

Newtown Police K-9 Officer Felicia Figol walks toward a minivan after it had crashed into a tree around midday Saturday, January 27, while additional first responders confer with the vehicle's driver. Police report that motorist Alexander Alejandro, 35, of New Haven was driving a 2000 Nissan Quest minivan northward on South Main Street at about 11:51 am last Saturday, when the vehicle crossed the road's centerline and then struck two traffic signs along the southbound road shoulder before hitting a tree head-on near Blue Spruce Drive. Both Alejandro and a passenger were transported to Danbury Hospital by Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, police said. Botsford and Hook & Ladder volunteer firefighters responded to the accident. Police said they verbally warned Alejandro for failure to drive to the right.

-Bee Photo, Hicks