Eight People Injured In Botsford Accident

By Andrew Gorosko

An Easton youth was reported in serious condition on the morning of Thursday, June 24, in Danbury Hospital, following a motor vehicle accident late on the night of Thursday, June 17, on South Main Street, near Kay Lane in Botsford.

Patrick Hardy, 18, of Easton, who was a right-rear seat passenger in a sedan involved in the crash, was a patient in the hospital. Police report that Hardy received head injuries in the two-vehicle collision, which injured eight people.

Police are seeking information from anyone who witnessed the accident, which occurred about 10:35 pm. Police did not provide many details about the nature of the collision.

In the crash, an Audi sedan, which was carrying five people, collided with a Ford pickup truck carrying three people, resulting in injuries to all those involved. The seven people besides Hardy all received hospital treatment and were released. Six of those victims went to Danbury Hospital and a seventh went to Bridgeport Hospital.

Police spent about four and one-half hours at the accident scene investigating the collision. During the probe, a lengthy section of South Main Street was closed to through-traffic, resulting in detours and travel delays in the area.

According to police, motorist Scott Morlando, 18, of Easton, was driving a 1993 Audi 100-S northbound on South Main Street, as southbound motorist Todd Adams, 24, of 26 Buttonball Drive, Sandy Hook, was driving a 1978 Ford F-250 pickup truck.

One of the vehicles apparently crossed the road’s centerline and the two vehicles collided, police said. The Audi received right side damage. The Ford received damage to its right-front area.

The collision occurred in the southbound lane, said police Lieutenant James Mooney. The lieutenant urged anyone who witnessed the accident to contact police at 426-5841. Detective Robert Koetsch is investigating.

Botsford Fire Chief Wayne Ciaccia said the about 15 firefighters who went to the scene worked slowly and carefully to remove the roof of the Audi to facilitate the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps’ removal of patients from the crash. Although the extrication work was not especially complex, it was necessary to work carefully to avoid any additional injuries to the victims, he said.

Firefighters stabilized the Audi to prevent the vehicle from shifting position as the victims were removed from the auto, he said.

“It seemed to go pretty well, about as smoothly as it could have,” Chief Ciaccia said of the patient extrication.

Following the extrication, firefighters provided nighttime illumination for the police investigation of the crash until almost 3 am on June 18.

The three other passengers in the Audi were Marc Rifkin, 17, of Easton; Jenna Walsh, 17, of Hickory, N.C.; and Savannah Hellgren, 17, of Easton. Rifkin was treated and released from Bridgeport Hospital. Walsh and Hellgren were treated and released from Danbury Hospital. Morlando, who drove the Audi, was treated and released from Danbury Hospital.

Adams, who drove the Ford, and the Ford passengers Adam Solinas, 25, of 137 Huntingtown Road and Melissa Ulrich, 26, of Ansonia, all were treated and released from Danbury Hospital.