Moving Violations

Police report that they stopped motorist Joseph Pratt, Jr, 29, of Woodbury at about 10 am on October 18 for driving 46 miles per hour in a 25-mph zone on Swamp Road in Botsford.

Police charged Pratt with traveling unreasonably fast and with driving while under suspension. Police held Pratt on $10,000 bail for arraignment on those charges on October 19 in Danbury Superior Court.

Police said that Pratt is wanted by police in Florida in connection with burglary and stolen goods charges.

Spin Out

Motorist Ryan Bigham, 26, of 43 Platts Hill Road was driving a 2007 Subaru sedan northward on a wet Hawleyville Road about 7 pm October 14, when Bigham lost control of the auto and spun out, striking a road sign along the southbound road shoulder, police said.

Bigham was not injured. Police said they issued Bigham an infraction for making a restricted turn.

Grays Plain Road

Motorist Patricia McDermott, 43, of 73 Charter Ridge Drive was driving a convertible eastward near 17 Grays Plain Road about 5:45 pm October 17, when the vehicle inadvertently went off the right road shoulder and struck a utility pole, police said.

McDermott was not injured. Police said they issued McDermott an infraction for making a restricted turn.

Wedgewood Court

Sometime between 6 pm on October 16, and 3:05 am on October 17, someone intentionally damaged a curbside residential mailbox at 5 Wedgewood Court, causing an estimated $150 in damage, police report. Police ask anyone with knowledge of the vandalism to contact Officer William Hull at the police station.

Dog Struck

Police report that motorist Clare Morabito, 64, of Shelton was driving a 2001 Jeep SUV eastward near 80 Church Hill Road about 2 pm October 9, when a dog ran onto the road and was struck by the vehicle. Morabito was not injured, police said.

Vehicular

Charges

Police said they stopped motorist Cecilia Marino, 51, of 36 Chestnut Hill Road to investigate at about 5 pm October 13 near 66 Church Hill Road.

Police said they charged Marino with failure to obey a traffic control signal and with driving with a suspended vehicle registration. Marino was released on a written promise to appear on October 27 in Danbury Superior Court, according to police.

 

Main Street

Police said they stopped motorist Dannella Scarlett, 20, of Bridgeport near 43 Main Street about 7 pm October 9 to investigate a motor vehicle violation.

Police then charged her with driving with a broken headlamp, misuse of a motor vehicle registration, and failure to have automotive insurance.

Scarlett was released on a written promise to appear in court on October 21.

Shrubbery Appears

On October 11, a number of potted shrubs were found near Maplewood Trail in the Pootatuck Park neighborhood, police report. Anyone with information about the matter is asked to contact Officer Dana Schubert at the police station.

Rear-Ender

At about noon on October 15, motorist Allison Washington, 37, of 29 Taunton Hill Road, who was driving a 2006 Volvo XC-90 station wagon eastward on Church Hill Road near its intersection with Connors Road, stopped for traffic conditions and was then struck from behind by an eastbound 2001 Toyota RAV-4 SUV driven by Juliana Detweiler, 19, of McVeytown, Penn., police said.

Police said they verbally warned Detweiler for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Seven Mailboxes

Police are investigating intentional damage that was done to seven curbside residential mailboxes sometime between 9:30 pm on October 15, and 7:30 am on October 16. Six of those mailboxes are on Flat Swamp Road. The other mailbox is on Cemetery Road. Anyone with information on the crimes is asked to contact Officer John McCluskey at the police station.

Stop Sign

Police report that at about 1:20 pm on October 13, they spotted motorist David Booth, 45, of 52 Lakeview Terrace drive a red 1996 Chevrolet Camaro past a stop sign without stopping on westbound Jeremiah Road at its intersection with Pole Bridge Road.

Police stopped Booth on nearby Berkshire Road and charged him with driving with a suspended license and with violating a stop sign.

After he posted $200 bail, police released Booth for an October 26 court appearance.

DUI Arrest

Police report that they went to the area near 86 Riverside Road at about 2:13 am on October 16 in response to a report of a one-vehicle accident.

Police said that motorist Thomas Pundy, 40, of 122 Riverside Road, who was driving a 2000 Jeep SUV, had left the scene of that accident before police arrived, but was found in the area.

After an investigation, police arrested Pundy on charges including driving under the influence, evading responsibility, and making a restricted turn.

Police released him on $70 bail for an October 28 court appearance.

Honda Vs Mazda

On October 8, motorist Alejandra Cervera, 47, of 11 Sweetbriar Lane, who was driving a 2009 Honda sedan, was attempting to parallel park the Honda next to an unoccupied 2006 Mazda convertible, which was parked curbside near 98 Church Hill Road, police said.

In attempting the maneuver, the Honda struck the Mazda, damaging the Mazda, police said. Police said they verbally warned Cervera for a motor vehicle violation.

Collision

About 2:18 pm on October 15, motorist Daniel DiCicco, 35, of Norwalk, who was driving a commercial 1999 Ford Econoline van southward near 3 Main Street, stopped at a traffic signal and was struck from behind by southbound motorist Kelly Olencki, 17, of Milford, who was driving a 1999 Volkswagen Passat sedan, police said.

There were no injuries. Police said they issued Olencki an infraction on charges of failure to drive a reasonable distance apart and failure to carry a license. Police added that they gave Olencki a written warning for failure to renew a vehicular registration.

Traffic Accident

At about 7 pm on October 17, motorist David Strayer, 54, of Millbrook, N.Y., who was driving a 2009 Hyundai sedan, was waiting at a traffic signal on northbound South Main Street near the northern driveway of Sand Hill Plaza, police said.

Northbound motorist Raul Riera-Aguilar, 44, of Danbury, who was driving a 1991 Mazda sedan, then struck the rear end of the Hyundai, police report.

There were no injuries. Riera-Aguilar received an infraction for driving without a license and for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart, according to police.

DUI Warrant

Police report that on October 13 they charged Manuel Simoes III, 28, of 48 Great Ring Road on a warrant listing a charge of driving under the influence in connection with a June 17 auto accident.

Police have said Simoes was driving a 2005 Hyundai Elantra sedan northward near 69 Great Ring Road about 6:09 am June 17, when while attempting to negotiate a sharp curve in the road to the left, Simoes applied the vehicle’s brakes but skidded about 50 feet and then collided with a large tree head-on.

After that accident, the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps members transported Simoes to Danbury Hospital for treatment of pain, police have said.

After processing on October 13, police released Simoes on $100 bail for an October 26 court appearance.

Wasserman Way

Police report a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Wasserman Way and the Exit 11 ramps of Interstate 84 at about 5:24 pm October 13.

The accident involved motorist Daniel Zimmerman, 43, of 50 Queen Street, who was driving a 2009 Subaru SUV, and motorist David Ladasky, 54, of Oxford, who was driving a 2001 Chevrolet station wagon, according to police.

There were no injuries. Police issued Zimmerman a written warning for failure to drive to the right.

Motorcycle Crash

State police report that motorcyclist Jacob Gersten, 21, of Danbury was riding a 2005 Honda CBR-600-RR motorcycle eastward on Interstate 84, about 2,000 feet west of Exit 9, about 4:40 pm on October 17, when Gersten attempted to pass a tractor-trailer truck, but lost control of the motorcycle and went onto the highway’s grassy median where both he and motorcycle passenger Sarah Scozzafava, 16, of Danbury were thrown from the motorcycle.

Both Gersten and Scozzafava received minor injuries, state police said.

State police issued Gersten a misdemeanor summons listing charges of reckless driving, driving a motorcycle without a motorcycle license, and failure to maintain the proper lane. Gersten is scheduled to appear in court on November 1.

Asleep at Wheel

State police said that Nathan Hackmeister, 23, of West Haven was driving a 1992 Lexus SC coupe westward on Interstate 84, about 50 feet east of the Exit 10 off-ramp, about 6:25 am October 16, when he fell asleep at the wheel, drifted off of the left lane and then struck some metal-beam guardrailing on the grassy highway median.

Hackmeister was not injured. Enforcement information was not available.

Rollover Crash

State police said that motorist Baron Jacobs, 22, of Southbury was driving a 1998 BMW 323 westward on Interstate 84, near Exit 9, in heavy rain about 11 pm on October 14, when Jacobs switched travel lanes but lost control of the auto.

The auto went off the road’s right shoulder, entered a wooded area and rolled over, with the vehicle coming partially to rest in a small pond of water, state police said.

Jacobs climbed out of the auto through the right-front window, according to state police. Ambulance staffers transported him to Danbury Hospital for treatment of head and neck pain, state police said. Jacobs received an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions, state police said.

Warrant

Police report they arrested Paul Joyce, 38, of Danbury on a warrant on the evening of October 19, charging him with evading responsibility and with following too closely in connection with a June 5 motor vehicle accident in Botsford.

In that incident, Joyce was allegedly driving a 1996 Mazda 626 sedan which struck the rear end of a 2009 Honda Accord sedan at the traffic signal at the intersection of South Main Street, Botsford Hill Road, and Meadowbrook Road, according to police.

Joyce allegedly drove away from the accident scene in the Mazda without providing the other driver with requested information, according to police. There were no injuries in the accident.

On October 19, police released Joyce from custody on $5,000 bail for an October 22 court appearance.