Entered Ditch Instead of Driveway

Newtown police report Regina Sullivan, 23, of Watertown, was operating a 2013 Mazda [model unidentified] eastbound on Mt Pleasant Road on September 14 and was attempting to turn right into a driveway. She did not properly make the turn and went off the road to the right, going into a ditch on the side of the driveway.

Sullivan stated that as she was about to turn into the driveway when an uninvolved second vehicle stopped abruptly in front of her, causing her to run off the road. No injuries were reported.

Sullivan was issued a verbal warning for making a restricted turn.

Rear Ended In Intersection

Newtown police report Nicholas Epifanio, 42, of Danbury, was operating a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado on September 15, attempting to make a left turn out of a commercial driveway to travel southbound on South Main Street. Matthew Muccioli, 33, of Monroe, was operating a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox and was stopped behind Epifanio’s vehicle in the commercial driveway.

Epifanio said he pulled out into South Main Street, but then realized oncoming traffic made it unsafe for him to complete the turn. He said he put his vehicle in reverse and did not see Muccioli’s vehicle behind him. The rear of his vehicle hit the front of Muccioli’s vehicle. Both vehicle suffered minor damage.

No injuries were reported. Epifanio was issued a misdemeanor summons for operation of a vehicle with an expired registration and improperly backing a vehicle.

Flipped Vehicle

Newtown police report that Kevin Coonan, 20, of Sandy Hook, was operating a 2005 Audi A6 southbound on Berkshire Road on September 16. The road conditions were wet and while negotiating a curve to the right in the roadway, police said Coonan’s vehicle crossed the dividing line and the northbound lane of travel. The vehicle ran off the roadway to the left and struck an embankment, then a tree, which caused the vehicle to overturn and roll onto its roof.

Coonan was wearing his seat belt and was able to exit the vehicle. He was evaluated by EMS but declined transport to the hospital.

Coonan’s vehicle was towed due to disabling damage. Damage to a stone wall at 2 Zoar Road was also reported.

Evading Responsibility

Newtown police report that officers responded to a two-vehicle collision that occurred at the Hawley Road and Currituck Road intersection on September 18. Upon investigation, officers determined that a vehicle that had left the scene before they arrived did not grant right of way at the Currituck Road intersection with Hawleyville Road and impacted a vehicle traveling from Hawleyville to Obtuse Road.

Police were later able to identify the fleeing vehicle and its operator. Police issued Mahesh Nadig of Redding a misdemeanor summons for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to grant the right of way from a stop sign, failure to drive right, and leaving the scene of an accident to evade responsibility.

A court date was set for September 30.

Struck Tree Stump

Newtown police report Alfredo Garcia, 41, of Newtown, was operating a 2007 Mercedez-Benz GI450 4Matic eastbound on Sugar Street on September 18. As Garcia’s vehicle was passing Longview Heights Road, police say his vehicle exited he eastbound shoulder of the roadway and struck a tree stump on the side of the road. Garcia’s vehicle was towed from the scene due to disabling damage.

No injuries were reported. Garcia was issued a verbal warning for making a restricted turn.

Failure to Obey Stop Sign

Newtown police report Reagan Schoen, 17, of Newtown, was operating a 2017 BMW X5 Xdrive35i northbound on Taunton Lane at the posted intersection of Mt Pleasant Road on September 19. Richard Giannettino, 66, of Bethel, was operating a 2016 Ford F150 eastbound on Mt Pleasant Road in the Taunton Lane area. Schoen stopped her vehicle at the intersection before entering into the eastbound travel land of Mt Pleasant Road when it was not safe to do so. The front end of Schoen’s vehicle struck the passenger side of Giannettino’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Schoen was issued a written warning for failure to obey a stop sign.

Rear Ended Stopped Vehicle

Newtown police report Wilfrido Trelles, 43, of Bridgeport, was operating a 2011 Acura RDX westbound on Church Hill Road on September 20. Marie Ann Papaioannou, 50, of Southbury, was operating a 2013 Infiniti G37 AWD, stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Church Hill Road and Main Street in the westbound travel lane of Church Hill Road.

The front of Trelles’ vehicle struck the rear of Papaioannou’s vehicle. There was minor damage to both vehicles.

No injuries were reported. Trelles was issued an infraction for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Too Fast For Conditions

Newtown police report Dean Johnson, 50, of Newtown, was operating a 2002 Ford Escort ZX2 westbound on Castle Hill Road on September 23 and drove off the road.

He was issued a verbal warning for traveling too fast for conditions.

Lost Control While Parking

Newtown police report William Stenson, 72, of Newtown, was operating a 2019 Honda Ridgeline and on September 24 was attempting to park in a private parking space across Ardi Court from a private driveway where a 2018 Honda Civic EX owned by Karen DeSantis was parked.

Stenson said that he lost control of his vehicle and jumped out. The vehicle rolled back across the southbound and northbound travel lanes of Ardi Court and struck the rear end of DeSantis’ vehicle.

Stenson was issued a written warning for unsafe backing and operating with a valid out-of-state license for over 30 days.

Police Seek GPS Thief

Newtown police report that between 7 am September 24 and 7 am September 27, a commercial vehicle on the Eversource property at 20 Barnabas Road that was owned by the contracting company Riggs Distler was entered and a Garmin GPS was taken.

Anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area during those times is asked to contact Officer Steve Borgas at the Newtown Police Department at 203-426-5841.

Both Claim Green

Newtown police report Elizabeth Ferruccio, 60, of Sandy Hook, was operating a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta on September 25 on South Main Street at the Sand Hill Plaza area. Sophia Robinson, 24, of Prospect, was operating a 2022 Genesis G70 Base in the same area. Police said one vehicle was exiting the plaza attempting to turn left and the other vehicle was traveling south on South Main Street. Both vehicles impacted each other. Both operators stated they had the green light.

Police were unable to determine which driver had the green light so no enforcement action was taken.

Excessively Slow

Newtown police report Marlene Vega, 48, of Danbury, was arrested on September 25 on the charges of operating a motor vehicle at too slow a speed and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. She was arrested after police responded to a report of a vehicle operating erratically on South Main Street. Officers stopped the vehicle after observing it traveling at an “excessively slow speed.” Vega subsequently failed a field sobriety test and was arrested.

Vega was released on a $500 bond with a court date of October 12 at Danbury Court.

Ran Over Fence

Newtown police report that Amardeep Singh, 43, of Mesquite, Texas, operating a 2016 Dodge Ram hauling a trailer, was traveling southbound on Dickenson Drive. Singh moved his vehicle from the southbound lane into the northbound lane, to go around a down security gate at Sandy Hook School. As he was entering the parking lot through the exit side, the right rear section of the trailer ran over the infrared sensors and fence posts, causing damage to them.

No injuries were reported.