State Trooper Hurt—

Three-Vehicle I-84 Crash Creates Traffic Snarl

By Andrew Gorosko

Following a three-vehicle accident on Interstate 84 during the start of the Wednesday morning rush, traffic stopped moving on eastbound I-84, and slowed to a crawl in the westbound lanes, resulting in heavily congested local roads as drivers sought alternate routes to avoid the interstate tie-ups.

Following the 6:11 am accident, which involved a state police cruiser, a tractor-trailer truck carrying US mail, and a sedan, state police closed a section of eastbound I-84 to traffic for about five hours.

After the accident, two other tractor-trailer trucks broke down on the highway and other collisions occurred on local roads, compounding the travel tie-ups that occurred along the highway extending toward New York State to the west and Southbury to the east.

The three-vehicle accident occurred on the eastbound side of I-84, just east of the I-84 bridge that crosses above The Boulevard Extension. The impact occurred at a right curve on the roadway where motorist sightlines are limited.

About a dozen state police officers were at the accident scene about 8:30 am, investigating the crash that heavily damaged the 2005 Ford Crown Victoria sedan driven by state Trooper Michael Dogali, 25.

Considering the severity of the collision, Trooper Dogali is fortunate to have received relatively minor injuries, which include facial cuts and back pain, according to state police.

Trooper Dogali, who is based at Troop A in Southbury, was able to climb out of the police car and make a radio call for help, state police said.

Trooper Dogali and the drivers of the other two vehicles involved in the crash all were transported to Danbury Hospital, where they were treated for injuries and then released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

State police said that motorist Dwight Hogancamp, 52, of Troy, N.H., was driving a 1993 Acura Integra in the left lane of eastbound I-84 at about 5:54 am, when he failed to negotiate a curve in the road to the right and slid off the left lane, entering the median divider.

Hogancamp was not injured in that initial accident in which the auto came to rest partially on the pavement, state police said.

Trooper Dogali, who was driving the police cruiser, then arrived on the accident scene and parked the cruiser with its emergency lights on behind the Acura on the left lane/left shoulder to investigate the crash, state police said.

An eastbound 1998 Freightliner tractor-trailer truck carrying mail driven by Robert Little, 40, of Newport, Penn., then came around the curve on eastbound I -84 and jackknifed, with the truck’s trailer smashing into the police cruiser, pushing the cruiser into the Acura, state police said.

Although the roof of the police cruiser was extensively damaged, Trooper Dogali was able to make his way out of the wreckage.

The truck involved in the accident is owned by LMM Trans, Inc, of Harrisburg, Penn.

Newtown police Sergeant Aaron Bahamonde said the sheer volume of traffic that is diverted away from I-84 when that road is closed overwhelms local roads, resulting in heavy traffic congestion. A few minor accidents occurred in that traffic congestion on local roads, he said.

A town police officer was stationed at eastbound I-84’s Exit 9 on-ramp to aid motorists who sought to get off eastbound I-84 by driving in the reverse direction down that ramp, he said.

Traffic flow on local roads had returned to normal by about noon, about one hour after I-84 had been reopened to traffic.