Date: Fri 24-Sep-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

crash-I-84-Halstead-accident

Full Text:

New York Man Dies In Multi-Vehicle Crash On I-84

(with photo)

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

A New York State man who was driving westbound on Interstate 84 just east of

Exit 10 died as a result of injuries he received September 17 after a

multi-vehicle traffic accident that began in the eastbound lanes spilled over

into the westbound lanes, striking the compact car he was driving.

Pronounced dead at the scene was motorist Ronald Romagnoli, 37, of Mt Vernon,

N.Y., the driver of a Toyota Corolla.

The crash also resulted in two of the Toyota's passengers being admitted to

hospitals.

Front seat passenger Dino Salati, 25, of Bronx, N.Y., who was extricated from

the Toyota after a 90-minute rescue by firefighters, was reported in critical

but stable condition Thursday morning in Yale-New Haven Hospital. Rear seat

passenger William Greenberg, 37, also of Bronx, N.Y., was reported in fair

condition Wednesday in Danbury Hospital.

The seven-vehicle accident, which occurred about 5:15 pm, caused extensive

traffic delays in both the westbound and eastbound lanes. The westbound lanes

were shut down for a time to allow the Lifestar medical evacuation helicopter

to land on the highway. The helicopter transported Mr Salati to St Mary's

Hospital in Waterbury and then to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

State police described what happened in the accident:

As the evening rush hour was underway, eastbound traffic was slowing down due

to heavy volumes.

A Volvo tractor-trailer truck cab which was not hauling a trailer, driven by

Percival Salmon, 52, of Monroe, N.Y., was unable to stop in time for the

slowing traffic and struck the rear end of an eastbound Chevrolet Cavalier

driven by John W. Schmidt, 25, of Southbury, pushing the Chevrolet into the

highway's center median, state police said.

The Volvo truck cab then struck an eastbound Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera driven

by Joseph Phelan, 42, of Waterbury, pushing the Oldsmobile into an eastbound

Honda Civic driven by Joelle Mahkovec, 22, of York, Penn., and also pushing

the Oldsmobile into an eastbound Peterbilt truck driven by Donald Killen, age

unavailable, of Des Moines, Iowa, state police said.

Eastbound motorist Peter Silverglate, 46, of Monroe, who was driving a Saturn

sedan, in attempting to avoid striking the Volvo truck cab, took evasive

action, but struck the Peterbilt truck, state police said.

The eastbound Volvo truck cab then crossed the highway median and entered the

westbound travel lanes, striking the westbound Toyota Corolla driven by Mr

Romagnoli, according to state police.

The impact of that collision forced the Toyota off the right road shoulder, up

an embankment and into a wooded area. The truck cab came to rest atop the

Toyota's dashboard.

Mr Salmon, the driver of the Volvo truck cab, and Mr Phelan, the driver of the

Oldsmobile, both were treated and released from Danbury Hospital.

Mr Romagnoli, the driver of the Toyota, was pronounced dead at the scene,

state police said.

When firefighters arrived, they found Mr Greenberg, the rear seat passenger of

the Toyota, outside the vehicle, said Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Company Chief Bill Halstead. Mr Salati, the front seat passenger, was trapped

inside the car, as was the deceased Mr Romagnoli.

To get access to the crushed Toyota, firefighters had to cut away a cluster of

trees alongside the highway where the car had become lodged about one-quarter

mile east of Church Hill Road.

Chief Halstead said the multi-car crash posed particular problems in

extricating Mr Salati from the crushed Toyota without jeopardizing the safety

of firefighters. The truck cab was perched atop the car's dashboard, so

firefighters had to work carefully to extricate Mr Salati from the vehicle

without allowing the truck's weight to shift, Chief Halstead said.

Airbags, hydraulic prying tools and wrecker equipment were used to stabilize

the truck while firefighters were working to free Mr Salati.

Firefighters called in Hilario's heavy wrecker service to stabilize the truck

while they worked to free Mr Salati. The extrication took approximately 90

minutes.

"It was a very tough extrication. It was a bad one. It was a difficult one,"

Chief Halstead said. Firefighters tore the roof and doors off the car to free

Mr Salati, after which he was airlifted from the accident scene by the

helicopter.

Sandy Hook and Newtown Hook and Ladder firefighters worked at the scene with

the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, said Chief Halstead.

State police said the accident is under investigation.