Coyote Distraction

While traveling eastward on Route 34 in Sandy Hook at about 6:10 pm March 25, motorist Susan Howe, 38, of Bethel, who was driving a 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara compact sport-utility vehicle, was temporarily distracted by the sight of a dead coyote lying along the right road shoulder, police said.

At that time, eastbound motorist David Glassman, 36, of Rochester, NY, who was driving a 1998 Dodge Ram pickup truck, had stopped to make a left turn onto Paugussett Road, police said.

The Suzuki then struck the rear end of the Dodge, heavily damaging both vehicles, police said.

The Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported both of the drivers and Kaylin Glassman, 11, who was a passenger in the Dodge, to Danbury Hospital for treatment of injuries, police said. Sandy Hook firemen went to the accident. Police said the crash is under investigation.

Three Vehicles

Police report a three-vehicle accident, involving two autos and a tractor-trailer truck, on South Main Street at about 12:30 pm May 23.

Northbound motorist Jessica Palermo, 17, of 45 Cedar Hill Road, who was driving a 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier, stopped to make a left turn onto Greenbriar Lane, police said.

Northbound motorist Edixon Sanabria, 24, of Norwalk, who was driving a tractor-trailer truck, then drove into the rear end of the Chevrolet, police said. The impact of that crash pushed the Chevrolet into the left side of a 1990 Plymouth Acclaim driven by Francis Laskarzewski, 66, of 46 Cedar Hill Road, police said.

As a result of the accident, Palermo had a headache, and Catherine Russell, 38, of 5 Pecks Lane, who was a passenger in the Plymouth, experienced back pain, police said.

Police issued Sanabria an infraction ticket on charges of following too closely and driving an unregistered vehicle.

Warrant Served

On the morning of March 26, police served a warrant against Tony Schick, 19, of Danbury, charging him with failure to respond to an infraction and with simple trespassing. Police said the arrest stems from an incident that occurred last July 30 at Newtown High School.

After processing, police released Schick on $77 bail for an April 8 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

DUI Charge

Police said they observed motorist Sean Raby, 21, of 69 Berkshire Road traveling northward on Mile Hill Road South at about 1 am on March 28 with a flat tire on the right rear of the vehicle he was driving. Police said Raby apparently did not realize that the tire was flat.

Police said they stopped the auto to investigate and performed field sobriety tests on Raby. Police said they then charged Raby with driving under the influence, driving with an unsafe tire, and with failure to have a tail lamp.

Following arrest processing, police released Raby on $50 bail for an April 9 court appearance.

Optical Goods

Police report that sometime between 8 pm March 26 and 6:30 am March 27, someone broke into a locked mailbox at the rear entrance to Village Eye Care at Newtown Shopping Village at 6 Queen Street. The person stole miscellaneous eye care items, police said.

Police are investigating and ask anyone with information on the matter to contact them at 426-5841 or at 270-8888.

MV Charges

While conducting a seatbelt compliance check at Exit 11 of Interstate 84 at about 11 am March 27, police stopped a Danbury man who was not wearing a seatbelt, police said.

On investigating, police charged motorist Francis Flanagan, III, 43, with failure to wear a seatbelt, misuse of marker plates, driving an unregistered vehicle, and driving without automotive insurance.

Police released Flanagan on $200 bail for an April 15 court appearance.

 

Highway Crash

State police report a two-vehicle accident on eastbound Interstate 84, almost one mile west of Exit 9, at about 4:30 pm on March 26.

Motorist Bharani Sarangan, 34, of East Hartford, who was driving a 1998 Toyota sedan, slowed for heavy traffic and was struck from behind by motorist Robert Churchill, 21, of Durham, NH, who was driving a 1998 Jeep, state police said. There were no injuries. State police said Churchill was following too closely.

Buick Vs Nissan

A two-vehicle accident took place on eastbound Interstate 84, west of Exit 10, about 3:20 pm March 26, state police said.

Motorist Brenan Santopolo, 20, of Danbury, who was driving a 1997 Buick sedan, made an unsafe lane change, cutting off a 1994 Nissan pickup truck driven by Zbigniew Kukielka, 48, of Plainville, state police said. The Nissan then went off the left road shoulder, according to state police.

There were no injuries. State police said that Santopolo erred in the accident.

Interstate Collision

At about 5:30 pm on March 24, Nose Sonmez, 24, of Danbury was driving a 1997 Toyota Camry eastward on Interstate 84, east of Exit 9, and then came to a stop, state police said. The Toyota was then struck from behind by motorist Eileen Robinson, 33, of Beacon Falls, who was driving a 2000 Saturn sedan, state police said.

There were no injuries. State police said Robinson was following too closely.

Truck Vs Structure

 At about 12:20 am March 23, Zablon Rivo Orina, 52, of New Castle, Del., was driving a tractor-trailer truck westward on Interstate 84, near Exit 11, when the vehicle went out of control, state police said. The trailer started to bounce and then struck a section of an overpass structure, state police said. Orina was not injured. State police said Orina failed to drive in the established lane.

 

Bad Checks

Police report that on March 29 they charged Charles Dietrich, 55, of 59 Queen Street on a warrant listing three counts of issuing a bad check. Dietrich allegedly issued three bad checks to a local merchant, police said. Police released Dietrich on a promise to appear in Danbury Superior Court on April 8.

Vehicular Incident

On March 29, after learning that police held a warrant for his arrest, Thomas Hubert, 50, of Brookfield turned himself in and was charged with breach of peace, following too closely so as to intimidate, and evading responsibility, police said.

The charges stem from an incident near the intersection of Church Hill Road and Queen Street last November 16, police said.

Police said that Hubert, who was driving, became involved in an altercation with another unidentified motorist.

Hubert allegedly followed another motorist from a Queen Street shopping area. Hubert’s vehicle’s allegedly “bumped” the other motorist’s vehicle and then left the scene, police said. Police released Hubert on a written promise to appear in court on April 7.

MV Stop

While on patrol on the afternoon of March 29, police stopped motorist Klever Ivan Pazmino-Medina, 43, of Danbury on Church Hill Road for having an expired registration sticker on his vehicle.

Police said Pazmino-Medina then produced a fraudulent international driver’s license. Police charged him with failure to display a valid vehicle registration sticker, failure to have a driver’s license, and second degree forgery.

Police released Pazmino-Medina on $250 bail for an April 13 court appearance.

Eight Charged

Police report that they charged eight youths with simple trespassing on the night of  March 30 after they were found to be in Dickinson Park off Elm Drive after the park had closed.

Police said they issued infraction tickets to Oliver Paynter, 16, of 36 Jo-Mar Drive; Andrea Ragot, 18, of 39 The Boulevard; Andrew Zimmerman, 17, of 29 Rowledge Pond Road; David Wesley, 18, of 8 Morris Road; Brian McDonald, 18, of 21 Hi Barlow Road; Tyler Dotter, 19, of 16 Merlin’s Lane; Trina Ramsdell, 18, of 16 Pond Brook Road, and Sean Surat, 18, of 25 Boggs Hill Road.

Police said the youths have the option of either paying a $92 fine or contesting the charges in court on April 9.

Collision

Police report a two-vehicle collision on northbound South Main Street, at its intersection with Mile Hill Road, at about 1:40 pm March 27.

Motorist Paul List, 51, of Westport, who was driving a 2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck, was stopped at a red traffic signal behind motorist Deborah Crowther, 40, of Ansonia, who was driving a 1993 Ford Escort, police said. When the signal turned green, the F-150 drove into the rear end of the Escort, police said.

There were no injuries. Police issued List an infraction ticket for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart. Police gave Crowther a written warning for failure to carry an automotive insurance card.

Intersection Accident

At about 4:20 pm on March 24, motorist Laurie Allan, 47, of Southbury, who was driving a 2001 Volkswagen Beetle eastward on Route 302, near its intersection with Route 25, struck the rear end of a 1995 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Gregory Schoerner, 45, of Northfield, police said.

There were no injuries. Police issued Allan a written warning for following too closely.

Scrap Metal

Police said they received a call at about 4 am April 1 from a passing motorist who spotted suspicious activity at the rear entrance to Amaral Motors Inc at Borough Lane.

Police said they investigated and found that Wayne Conroy, 34, of Naugatuck had gone onto the Amaral property without permission and took a large amount of scrap metal, which he then loaded into his vehicle. The vehicle was loaded with old radiators and aluminum items that Conroy intended to sell, police said.

Police charged Conroy with sixth degree larceny and with third degree criminal mischief. Police held Conroy on $100 bail for an arraignment later that day in Danbury Superior Court.

South Main Accident

Police said motorist Jessica Budnick, 16, of 13 Nutmeg Lane, who was driving a 1995 Nissan Altima, was heading northward on South Main Street, near Pecks Lane, about 11 am on March 26, when she stopped for a vehicle that was making a left turn into a driveway.

At that time, a red pickup truck approached the Nissan from behind and struck it, police said. The truck then continued traveling northward. Budnick was not injured, police said.

Police are investigating and ask anyone with information about the accident to contact them at 426-5841.

Criminal Mischief

Police report they charged Patrick Farrell, 23, of 105 South Main Street with third degree criminal mischief on the night of March 31 in connection with a fire at that address.

Police said Farrell was burning some trash and debris, but then the fire got out of control, damaging the contents of a steel storage shed on the property. About 20 Newtown Hook and Ladder firefighters went to the scene to extinguish the blaze.