Traffic Signal Accident

A two-vehicle accident occurred at the four-way traffic signal that controls traffic flow at the intersection of Queen Street and the commercial driveways at 5 and 6 Queen Street at about 12:39 pm on July 22.

The collision involved motorist Louis Fico, 83, of 17 Bonnie Brae Drive, who was driving a 2005 Honda Accord sedan, and motorist Adam Schankman, 22, of 53 Mt Nebo Road, who was driving a 2001 Audi A-6 sedan, according to police.

There were no injuries. Fico received a written warning for failure to obey a traffic signal, police report.

Vandalism

Sometime between the night of July 22 and morning of July 23, someone vandalized two stop signs in the area of Madison Drive by spaying paint on the signs, police said.

People with information on the criminal mischief are asked to contact investigating Officer Matthew Wood at the police station at 3 Main Street, telephone 203-426-5841.

Interstate Accident

State police said that at about 7:27 am on July 23, motorist Paige Zielinski, 25, of Leland, N.C., who was driving a 2011 Nissan Rogue westward on Interstate 84, about 500 feet east of Exit 11, slowed for traffic conditions and was then struck from behind by motorist Zachary Barrigas, 18, of Thomaston, who was driving a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta.

There were no injuries. Enforcement information was not available.

South Main Collision

Motorist Daniel Tavella, 25, of 187 Sugar Street was driving a 2005 Subaru Impreza sedan southward near 151 South Main Street about 8:47 am on July 23 and then stopped for traffic conditions, after which the Subaru was struck from behind by southbound motorist Paul Bumbala, 79, of Bridgeport, who was driving a 1999 Nissan Altima sedan, according to police reports.

There were no injuries. Police said they verbally warned Bumbala for following too closely.

Church Hill Road Accident

At about 3:26 pm on July 23, motorist Courtney Hunter, 29, of 90 Great Ring Road, who was driving a 2008 Ford Expedition SUV eastward near 29 Church Hill Road, stopped for traffic conditions and was then struck from behind by eastbound motorist Timothy Mammen, 16, of 5 Sycamore Drive, who was driving a 1995 Chevrolet K-1500 pickup truck, police report.

There were no injuries. Mammen received an infraction for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart, police said.

Four Violations

Police said that while on patrol about 8:28 pm on July 23, they stopped motorist Jacob Browning, 23, of 3 Cold Spring Road for an automotive equipment violation near 6 Queen Street.

Police said they charged Browning with failure to display a marker plate, driving with suspended registration, failure to have automotive insurance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Newtown police released Browning on a written promise to appear in court on August 6. Newtown police released Browning to Orange police who held an outstanding warrant on him.

Two Charges

Police said that while on patrol about 2:15 am on July 24 near 123 South Main Street, they spotted a motor vehicle violation, so they stopped motorist Blake Balswin, 24, of New Milford to investigate.

Police said they charged Balswin with driving a vehicle with an inoperable tail lamp and also driving with a suspended license.

Balswin was released on a written promise to appear in court on August 7.

Evading

State police report that at about 9:36 am on July 24, motorist Gregory Dasilva, 19, of Danbury, who was driving a 2002 Subaru Impreza auto eastward on Interstate 84, west of Exit 9, attempted to pass a 2006 Land Rover SUV driven by Juan Peguero, 29, of Danbury, but collided with the Land Rover, state police said.

The Subaru driver did not stop after the crash. The Land Rover then followed the Subaru to Exit 9, where both vehicles stopped for state police.

There were no injuries. Dasilva received a misdemeanor summons for evading responsibility and for improper passing, state police said. Dasilva is scheduled for an August 4 court appearance.

Sandy Hook Crash

A two-vehicle accident occurred at the intersection of Wasserman Way and Berkshire Road about 12:45 pm on July 24.

Police said motorist Judith Watts, 52, of 1 Osborn Hill Road Extension, who was driving a 2002 Chrysler Town & Country minivan eastward on Wasserman Way, struck the rear end of an eastbound 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan driven by Leslie Troy, 48, of 59 Great Ring Road.

There were no injuries. Police report they verbally warned Watts for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Stolen Fire Radios

Police report they arrested Ricardo Rojas, 19, of Naugatuck on a warrant on July 24, charging him with third-degree larceny and with second-degree criminal trover. Trover involves the damage done to stolen goods.

Police allege that Rojas stole two two-way fire radios used by the Newtown Hook & Ladder volunteer fire company. The two radios are valued at $7,450. The radios went missing in January, police said.

After processing, police released Rojas on $750 bail for arraignment on August 13 at Danbury Superior Court.

Minivan vs Minivan

At about 6:38 pm on July 24, motorist Christopher Arnold, 53, of Naugatuck, who was driving a 2012 Chrysler Town & Country minivan eastward on Interstate 84, about 2,000 feet west of Exit 10, slowed for traffic conditions and was then struck from behind by motorist Stephen Brittin, 16, of 43 Tomahawk Trail, who was driving a 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan, state police said.

There were no injuries. Brittin received an infraction for following too closely, state police report,.

Probation Violation

After learning that police held an arrest warrant against him, Justin Gaynor, 26, of 12 Alberts Hill Road turned himself over to police at the police station on the evening of July 24 and was charged with violation of probation in connection with a July 2 incident, police said.

Gaynor was released on $2,500 bail for an August 7 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

Street Sign Gone

On or about July 25, someone removed a street-name sign for Town’s End Road from its signpost, police report.

Town’s End Road is a dirt road that extends from Eden Hill Road near the point where Newtown, Easton, and Redding meet. Police ask anyone with knowledge of the missing sign’s whereabouts to contact Officer Maryhelen McCarthy at the police station.

Rollover Crash

Volunteer firefighters from Hawleyville and Hook & Ladder joined forces late on the morning of Friday, July 25, to extricate a woman from a station wagon that had flipped over onto its side, trapping her.

Police said that motorist Flerida Garcia, 61, of Danbury was driving a 2000 Subaru Outback westward on Mt Pleasant Road at about 11:30 am, when she lost control of the auto, exited Mt Pleasant Road and then drove onto Sedor Lane, where the vehicle then struck a stone wall, causing it to flip over onto its right side.

Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported Garcia to Danbury Hospital on a report of pain, police said. The accident is under investigation, according to police.

(A photo of this incident appears in The Newtown Bee print edition of August 1, 2014.)

Highway Crash

At about 4:17 pm on July 25, motorist Elaine Borrelli, 74, of Southbury, who was driving a 2005 Subaru Outback station wagon eastward on Interstate 84 in the area between the Exit 11 interchange off-ramp and on-ramp, attempted to move from the right lane to the center lane of the tri-lane roadway, but struck trucker Charles Guilmette, 58, of Enfield, who was driving a 2003 Kenworth W-900 truck in the center lane, state police said.

There were no injuries. Borrelli received an infraction for making an unsafe lane change, state police said.

Saab Into Cables

State police report that motorist Thomas Menet, 62, of Harpswell, Maine, who was driving a 2004 Saab auto westward on Interstate 84 near Exit 11 at about 2:30 pm on July 26, struck some guardcabling along the left road shoulder.

There were no injuries. State police issued him an infraction for failure to drive in the proper lane.

DUI Arrest

Police report that at about 7:16 pm on July 26, they received a report concerning erratic driving and a possible motor vehicle accident, so they responded to Underhill Road in the Riverside section of Sandy Hook to investigate the whereabouts of a green pickup truck.

Police said they found the vehicle in question in the parking lot at 138 Underhill Road and investigated, charging John Capozziello, Jr, 62, of 138 Underhill Road with driving under the influence and with making a restricted turn. Capozziello was released on $1,000 nonsurety bail for an August 12 court appearance, police said.

I-84 DUI

State police report they received a complaint about 8:38 pm on July 26 that a motor vehicle accident had occurred on westbound Interstate 84, east of Exit 9, in which the driver who caused the accident left the scene of the crash. The evading vehicle was described as a 1993 Jeep Cherokee.

State police said the that Jeep’s driver, Sara Gracie, 28, of Torrington continued driving westward after colliding with a 2010 Nissan Sentra auto near Exit 9.

The Jeep then became involved in two accidents near Exit 7 in Danbury — one with a BMW 528 auto and the other with a 2013 Kia Optima auto, state police said.

The Jeep finally stopped near Exit 6, state police said. Gracie became combative when police apprehended her, police said.

Gracie was arrested on charges including driving under the influence, failure to drive in the proper lane, failure to drive a reasonable distance apart, interfering with police, and attempted assault on a police officer, state police said.

Gracie was released on $5,000 nonsurety bail for an August 4 court appearance.

Alcohol Charge

Police report that at about 11:55 pm on July 26, they responded to 10 Pine Tree Hill Road after receiving a complaint about noise emanating from that property.

Police said that on arriving, they found about 55 minors having a party and drinking alcohol. The youths then dispersed, police said.

After investigating, police charged Christian Mather, 18, of 10 Pine Tree Hill Road with allowing minors to possess alcohol.

Police said they issued Mather a misdemeanor summons, after which they released him on a written promise to appear in court on August 8.

Sedan Off Road

At about 6:33 am on July 28, motorist Ozni Recancoj, 20, of Bridgeport was driving a 2002 Mazda Protégé sedan northward near 87 South Main Street, when for an unknown reason, the vehicle went off the right side of the road, struck some curbing, went down an embankment and then hit some rocks.

Recancoj was not injured. Hook & Ladder firefighters went to the scene to isolate a gasoline spill, police said. Police report they issued Recancoj an infraction for making an improper turn and for failure to have a driver’s license.

Burglary/Larceny

Police report they responded to a residence on Botsford Hill Road, near its intersection with High Bridge Road, late on the morning of July 28 after learning that a burglary/larceny had occurred there.

Police said that a person or persons had entered the premises sometime between July 25 and 11 am on July 28. The entry point is unknown and there was no evidence of forced entry, police aid.

Taken in the incident were jewelry, silverware, and a laptop computer, police said. Police are investigating and ask anyone with knowledge of the crime to contact Detective Jason Frank at the police station at 203-426-5841.