Hawleyville SUV Accident

Leaves Boy Critically Injured

By Andrew Gorosko

A 10-year-old New Milford boy was listed in critical condition this week with head injuries that he received in a one-vehicle accident that occurred at dusk Thursday, April 14, on Hawleyville Road, just north of Hawleyville Center.

Justin Sokol was in listed in critical condition midday Wednesday, April 20, in Yale-New Haven Hospital. A hospital spokeswoman provided no additional details on the boy’s condition or injuries.

On the morning of Thursday, April 21, the hospital declined to provide any information on the boy.

Following the accident, police charged the boy’s mother with driving under influence, among other violations.

The injured boy was airlifted to Yale-New Haven Hospital, after having been transported to Danbury Hospital by the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps following the accident.

Justin Sokol was the front-seat passenger in a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee sport-utility vehicle, which was being driven by his mother, Ann Marie Montalvo, 32, of New Milford. Christopher Sokol, 7, who is Justin’s brother, was a rear-seat passenger, police said.

Police said they learned of the accident at 7:58 pm. It was reported by passers-by using cellular telephones.

Ms Montalvo had been driving the Jeep northward on Hawleyville Road. While traveling on a curve to the left, the vehicle apparently drifted off the right road shoulder, struck a guardrail, and then rolled over several times, coming to rest on its roof in the middle of Hawleyville Road at its intersection with North Ridge Drive, police said.

All three occupants of the vehicle had been wearing seatbelts when the accident occurred, police said.

On arriving at the accident, police found Ms Montalvo and Christopher Sokol outside the wrecked vehicle with some passers-by who had stopped to help, said police Sergeant Aaron Bahamonde.

Justin Sokol, who was still wearing a seatbelt, was trapped inside the upturned vehicle, hanging upside down, the sergeant said.

Police summoned Hawleyville firefighters to the scene to extricate the trapped boy from the wreckage. The Hawleyville fire station is several hundred yards from the accident scene.

Working quickly, but carefully, Hawleyville firefighters extricated the trapped boy from the wreckage in approximately 20 minutes, said Sgt Bahamonde.

“The Hawleyville Fire Department did an excellent job,” the sergeant said of the need to act swiftly but delicately to free the trapped boy. “It was a complex situation…very tricky,” the sergeant said.

The boy was unconscious as the rescue work was underway, he said.

Christopher Sokol received minor injuries in the accident. Ms Montalvo refused medical attention, the sergeant said.

In investigating the accident, police arrested Ms Montalvo on charges of driving under the influence, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, making a restricted turn, and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. Police have referred the case to the assistant state’s attorney in terms of other possible charges, Sgt Bahamonde said.

Police also have referred the case to the state Department of Children and Families for review.

Police said they released Ms Montalvo on $100 bail for an April 28 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

Following the accident, the police department activated in accident reconstruction team to analyze the dynamics of the crash, Sgt Bahamonde said.

The section of Hawleyville Road between its intersections with Barnabas Road and Currituck Road was closed to through-traffic for about four hours as police investigated the accident. Traffic in the area was detoured to other roads.