Date: Fri 20-Sep-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

police-collision-lawsuit

Full Text:

Woman Plans To Sue Town Over Collision With Police Cruiser

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The town has been notified that a woman involved in an August motor vehicle

accident plans to sue the town and a police officer also involved in the

crash.

According to the notice received by the town September 12, Kimberley W.

McDonnold, 39, of 2 Diamond Drive, was injured when the car she was driving, a

1989 Toyota Camry, was struck by a 1996 Ford Crown Victoria police car driven

by Officer Douglas J. Wisentaner, 29.

The collision took place late on the morning of August 8 at the intersection

of Main Street, South Main Street, Glover Avenue, and Sugar Street.

"Kimberley W. McDonnold received head and other injuries as a result of the

accident and her car was substantially destroyed," according to the notice.

The notification protects Ms McDonnold's legal right to bring a lawsuit

against the town and Officer Wisentaner.

Ms McDonnold is represented by Attorney Francis G. Pennarola of Chipman,

Mazzucco, Land & Pennarola of Danbury in the case.

On August 8, a police car driven by Officer Wisentaner was on its the way to a

motor vehicle accident on Church Hill Road when it collided with Ms

McDonnold's Toyota.

Police said Officer Wisentaner, who was driving with the car's emergency

lights and siren on, was heading northbound on South Main Street as he

approached its intersection with Glover Avenue. Officer Wisentaner was

planning to drive straight across the intersection to get to the Church Hill

Road accident, police said.

At the time, Ms McDonnold was traveling westbound on Glover Avenue and was

planning to go straight across the intersection to Sugar Street on a green

traffic light, police said.

The police car, which had a red traffic signal in the intersection, hit the

Toyota in the middle of the intersection, causing both cars to spin out to the

western edge of the intersection, police said.

Neither driver had any visible injuries but both were transported to Danbury

Hospital to be checked, police then said. The Newtown Volunteer Ambulance

Corps went to the accident scene.

After investigating the accident, Lieutenant David Lydem, head of the police

department's field services unit, issued Officer Wisentaner a written warning

stating he failed to slow or stop an emergency vehicle, displaying its

emergency lights and sounding its siren, when going through a red traffic

light.

Lt Lydem issued Ms McDonnold a written warning stating she failed to grant the

right of way to an emergency vehicle.

Patrolman Wisentaner had been driving to the Church Hill Road acccident which

had happened just minutes earlier.