Erratic Driver DUI

Newtown Police report officers were dispatched to the area of Main Street near the flagpole at 9:30 pm August 21 for the report of an erratic motor vehicle.

Officers located the vehicle on Elm Drive and initiated a traffic stop. Upon investigation, Joseph Shepard, 46, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to maintain a lane, and failure to signal for a turn.

Shepard was released on a $500 cash bond with a court date of September 7 in Danbury Superior Court.

Car Hits Motorcycle

Newtown Police report Gabrielle Ricardo, 38, of Danbury, operating a 2016 Subaru Legacy, was attempting to make a left turn from a driveway onto South Main Street at 1:30 pm August 27. Glenn Richard, 63, of Monroe, operating a 2011 Harley Electraglide, was traveling southbound on South Main Street. The driver’s side rear of Ricardo’s vehicle collided with the left front side of Richard’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported and neither vehicle was towed.

Ricardo was issued an infraction for failure to yield right of way at a driveway.

Sweeper Struck

Newtown Police report Lena Muehlenbein, 66, of New Milford, was traveling eastbound on Sugar Street at 12:46 pm August 30. Muehlenbein was traveling behind a three vehicle convoy. Muehlenbein attempted to pass the second and third vehicle in the convoy, and as she did so, police say the passenger front and rear side of her vehicle collided with the front driver’s side of the second vehicle in the convoy, a 1994 Mobile Sweeper operated by Chaz Keitt, 39, of Bridgeport. The collision caused minor damage to the sweeper and disabling damage to Muehlenbein’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Muelenbein’s vehicle was towed from the scene.

Muehlenbein was issued an infraction for unsafe passing.

Saturn Vs Box Truck

Newtown Police report Christopher George, 26, of Newtown, driving a 2009 Saturn Aura, was traveling northbound on Sawmill Road and came to a stop at the stop sign at the intersection with Mount Pleasant Road at 8:28 am September 1. Michael Tobin, 63, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2017 Isuzu NQR box truck, was traveling eastbound on Mount Pleasant Road. Police say George started to make a left turn onto Mount Pleasant Road when the left front section of his vehicle struck the right front section of Tobin’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.

George was issued an infraction for failure to grant right of way at a stop sign.

Drove Into Ditch

Newtown Police report Shaneil Harris, 35, of Norwalk, operating a 2008 Nissan Versa, was traveling northbound on Mt Pleasant Road, negotiating a left curve in the roadway, at 3:50 pm September 5. Police say Harris failed to properly negotiate the curve and traveled off the right side of the roadway, coming to a stop in a ditch.

No injuries were reported.

Harris was given a verbal warning for traveling too fast for conditions.

Hit Oncoming Car

Newtown Police report Justin Pagan, 19, of Bridgeport, operating a 2013 Nissan Rogue, was traveling northbound on Castle Hill Road at 5:15 pm September 5. Richard Spann, 74, of Fort Myers, Fla., operating a 2022 Hyundai Tucson, was traveling southbound on Castle Hill Road. Police say Pagan lost control of his vehicle on a curve and crossed over the center line, striking Spann’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Pagan’s vehicle was towed due to disabling damage.

Pagan was issued an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions.

Struck Sign And Pole

Newtown Police report Eddy Soto, 34, of Derby, operating a 2005 Nissan Armada, was traveling northbound on Berkshire Road at 6:12 am September 6. While negotiating a curve to the left, Soto’s vehicle ran off the roadway to the left and struck a school bus sign and a utility pole.

No injuries were reported. Soto’s vehicle was towed.

Soto was issued a verbal warning for failure to drive in the proper lane.

Slid Into Stopped Car

Newtown Police report Esteban Palacios-Constanza, 37, of Bridgeport, operating a 2002 Ford F250, was traveling on South Main Street by Mile Hill Road at 6:59 am September 6. He was behind a 2017 Audi Q5 operated by Ashley Joseph, 21, of New Milford, who was stopped at the traffic control light on South Main Street by Mile Hill Road. Palacios-Constanza attempted to stop, sliding on the wet roadway and striking Joseph’s vehicle front to rear.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

No enforcement action was mentioned in the report.

Spun Into Embankment

Newtown Police report Ismael Garcia, 28, of Danbury, operating a 2002 Honda Civic, was traveling south on South Main Street at 12:28 pm September 6. Garcia lost control of his vehicle while negotiating a curve to the left, causing the vehicle to spin around and strike an embankment.

No injuries were reported. Garcia’s vehicle was towed.

Garcia was issued a written warning for making a restricted turn and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Collision At Transfer Station

Newtown Police report Olga Trusova, 52, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2013 Honda Odyssey, was stopped at the Newtown Transfer Station at 1:42 pm September 6. She was behind a 2003 Dodge Durango operated by Amy Brady, 56, of Newtown. Police say the front of Trusova’s vehicle made contact with a rear trailer hitch attached to Brady’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Minor damage was done to both vehicles.

No enforcement action was taken.

Hitch Damaged Car

Newtown Police report Christopher Voight, 31, of Newtown, operating a 2019 Ram 2500 Tradesman, was backing westbound from a parking space in the parking lot of 116 South Main Street at 3:50 pm September 6. Anna Maher, 74, of Newtown, operating a 2011 Land Rover Range Rover, was traveling southbound in the parking lot. The hitch of Voight’s vehicle struck the passenger side rear of Maher’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported.

No enforcement action was taken since the incident occurred on private property.

Failure To Yield

Newtown Police report Anne Stark, 62, of Southbury, operating a 2022 Hyundai Tucson, was attempting to make a left turn onto northbound South Main Street from a driveway at 5:06 pm September 6. Police say while pulling out, Stark’s vehicle was struck on the driver’s side by a 2020 Mazda CX-5 operated by Holly Ann Bartlett, 53, of Newtown, that was traveling southbound on South Main Street. Bartlett’s vehicle was then hit by a 2020 Volkswagen Passat operated by Daniel Sailer, 55, of Newtown.

No injuries were reported. No vehicles were towed.

Stark was given a verbal warning for failure to yield right of way. Sailer was given a verbal warning for following too closely resulting in an accident.

Hit Fallen Tree

Newtown Police report Mark Scheunemann, 31, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2021 GMC Terrain, was traveling southbound on Toddy Hill Road at 10:27 am September 7. A tree fell onto the roadway from the southern shoulder, landing in front of Scheunemann’s vehicle. The front of the vehicle struck the tree.

No injuries were reported. Scheunemann’s vehicle was towed from the scene.

No enforcement action was taken.

Rear Ended At Intersection

Newtown Police report Hunter Merrill, 29, of Danbury, operating a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, was traveling on Boggs Hill Road near the intersection with Sugar Street. Merrill was behind a 2011 Subaru Forrester operated by Shannon Grumet, 44, of Monroe, who was stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of Boggs Hill Road and Sugar Street. The front of Merrill’s vehicle struck the rear bumper of Grumet’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed from the scene.

Merrill was issued an infraction for operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

Assault Arrest

Newtown Police report Jordan Cicchesi, 24, of Newtown, was arrested at 3 pm September 10 on the charge of first-degree assault. He was held on a $100,000 bond with a court date of September 12 in Danbury Superior Court.