Bicycle Accident

Police have disclosed the identity of the boy who was injured in a bicycle accident in front of the police station at 3 Main Street at about 7:53 am on August 20.

Police said bicyclist Alister Ratcliff, 15, of 14 Concord Ridge Road was driving a Cannondale bicycle southward on the southbound road shoulder of South Main Street and was passing southbound motor vehicle traffic. At that time, off-duty police Detective Robert Koetsch, 37, was driving his personal 1999 Chrysler Concorde sedan southward on South Main Street, police said.

The Chrysler then slowed and signaled to turn right into the lower driveway of the police station, police said.

As the Chrysler was turning, Ratcliff tried using his brakes to stop the bicycle, but could not and collided with the right side of the auto, police said. Ratcliff was wearing a helmet, police said. Ratcliff complained of neck, arm, and leg pain and was transported by the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Danbury Hospital. Ratcliff was treated at the hospital and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.      

Koetsch reported neck and shoulder pain and was checked by the town’s physician, police said.

Newtown Hook and Ladder firefighters went to the accident. Police verbally warned Ratcliff for passing on the right.

 

Evading Responsibility

Police report that at about 9:30 pm on August 21, motorist Reinaldo Diaz, 37, of Danbury was driving a 1987 Suzuki Samurai westward on Mt Pleasant Road, as motorist Craig Thompson, 37, of Trumbull was driving a 2001 Volkswagen Passat eastward there.

A collision occurred between the two vehicles and Diaz left the scene of the crash, police said. There were no injuries. Police later found Diaz at his home and charged him with evading responsibility and failure to drive to the right on curve.

Police released Diaz on a $60 bond for a September 11 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

Underage DUI

Police said motorist Joseph A. Fonseca, 17, of 1 Pebble Road was driving at the intersection of Cedar Hill Road and Megans Circle at about 1 am August 24, when he was involved in a one-vehicle accident.

Police said they went to the accident scene to investigate and gave Fonseca field sobriety tests, which he failed. Police charged him with driving under the influence, illegal possession of alcohol by a minor, and making an improper turn.

After processing the case, police released Fonseca on a $50 bond for a September 9 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

Bresson Farm Road

On the morning of August 20, police learned of mailbox vandalism at a Bresson Farm Road home in Sandy Hook. Bresson Farm Road is a side street off Bennetts Bridge Road. Police are investigating the criminal mischief.

Vining Road

Police report a case of vehicular vandalism at a Vining Road address sometime between 1 and 9 am on August 20. Someone threw a rock through the rear window of a parked 1995 Honda Civic and also slashed its two rear tires, police said. Police are investigating the criminal mischief.

I-84 Mechanical Failure

State police report that as Jacques Padawer, 77, of Hastings on Hudson, N.Y., was driving a 1993 Honda sedan eastward on Interstate 84, about 1,000 feet west of Exit 10, at about 4:20 pm August 21, the left rear tie-rod of the vehicle broke, causing the vehicle to spin out of control and strike the guardrailing along the right side of the road.

Padawer was not injured in the mishap, state police said.

I-84 Galant

Motorist Gary Lake, 18, of Danbury was driving a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant eastward on Interstate 84, about 2,500 feet west of Exit 9, at about 5 pm August 18, when he braked for stopping traffic, state police said.

Lake then swerved the Mitsubishi to avoid striking a vehicle ahead of him, which was changing lanes, but Lake then lost control of the Mitsubishi and struck the median guardrail, state police said. There were no injuries. State police took no enforcement.

Police Car MVA

Police report an accident between a police patrol car and a civilian vehicle about 11:30 am August 17 at the intersection of Main Street, Sugar Street, South Main Street, and Glover Avenue.

Police said police Patrol Officer Leonard K. Penna, 26, was driving a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria marked police car southward on Main Street on an emergency call with its emergency lights on and its siren sounding.

The police car slowed for a red traffic signal and then started moving into the intersection, police said.

At that time, motorist Mohammed Bhuiyan, 34, of Bethel, who was driving a 1996 Chevrolet Lumina, was traveling eastward on Sugar Street behind two other eastward vehicles, police said.

The two vehicles in front of the Chevrolet stopped to allow the police car the right of way through the intersection, police said. The Chevrolet then passed the two stopped autos on the right and entered the intersection, where the front end of the Chevrolet collided with the right rear side of the police car, police said.

There were no injuries. Police issued Bhuiyan a written warning for passing on the right and failure to grant the right of way to an emergency vehicle.

Hawleyville Accident

Police report an accident at the intersection of Hawleyville Road and Mt Pleasant Road about 6 pm August 24. Motorist David E. Thomas, 35, of Bridgeport, who was driving a 1995 Ford Explorer, was stopped at a red traffic signal on Hawleyville Road behind stopped motorist John Christodoulou, 44, of Danbury, who was driving a 1998 Buick Century, police said.

The Ford then rolled into the rear end of the Buick, police said. There were no injuries. Police verbally warned Thomas for following too closely.

Motorcycle Crash

Motorcyclist Edward DiMartino, 36, of 5 Dylan Drive, who was driving a 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle near 89 Taunton Hill Road at about 12:50 pm August 24, told police that he lost control of the motorcycle and had an accident after a vehicle traveling in the opposite lane entered his travel lane.

DiMartino reported a collarbone injury and was transported to Danbury Hospital by the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps. There was no enforcement action.

Car Vs Motorcycle

Police said motorist Christopher M. Jackson, 31, of 36 Jeremiah Road, who was driving a 1997 Nissan Sentra, was exiting the driveway at the Mona Lisa Restaurant at 160 South Main Street about 9:52 pm August 26, as motorcyclist John Plavnicky, 57, of Monroe was driving a 750-cc Honda southbound on South Main Street.

The Nissan then attempted to turn left to head northward on South Main Street, police said.

When Plavnicky saw Jackson making the left turn, he braked to avoid a collision, but then lost control of the motorcycle and it landed on its left side, police said.

The two vehicles did not make contact. Plavnicky received minor injuries, police said.

Police issued Jackson an infraction ticket for failure to grant the right of way.

Riverside Road

During the early morning hours on August 26, someone damaged a residential mailbox at 67 Riverside Road in Sandy Hook, police report. The case is under investigation.

South Main Crash

Motorist Jeremy Graves, 19, of 8 Pond Brook Road, who was driving a 1989 Chevrolet pickup truck, was pulling out a parking lot at 49 South Main Street to turn left to travel southward on South Main Street at about 2:16 pm August 26, while motorist Rudolph Edwards, 68, of 22 Wendover Road was driving a 2003 Geo Tracker northward on South Main Street, police said.

 As the Chevrolet pulled out into the road the vehicles collided in the northbound lane, police said. There were no injuries. Police issued Graves an infraction ticket for failure to grant the right of way.

 

Nunnawauk Theft

A Nunnawauk Road resident reported to police on August 20 that sometime during the early morning hours of August 16 someone entered her car parked in the driveway at her private residence and stole the vehicle ownership title, the vehicle registration, a driver’s license, a CB radio antenna, and a marker plate. Police are investigating.

Sherman Street

Motorist Dora J. Desrochers, 40, of 52 Charter Ridge Drive was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe northward on a curve on Sherman Street about 4:10 pm August 27, when she encountered an unidentified southbound vehicle there, police said.

To avoid the southbound vehicle, the Chevrolet swerved, but struck guardrailing along the right side of the road, police said.

There were no injuries or enforcement actions, police said.

 

Stone Wall

Police received a report about 2 am August 26 that someone driving a vehicle had struck and damaged a stone wall at 87 Brushy Hill Road. Police are seeking the person who damaged the property and ask anyone with information on the matter to contact them at 426-5841.