Five-Car Crash Snarls I-84 Traffic

By Andrew Gorosko

A five-car accident on westbound Interstate 84, west of Exit 10, caused extended travel delays on the highway on the morning of Wednesday, November 10.

Motorists who exited the highway at westbound Exit 10 to avoid the backup encountered added travel delays on Church Hill Road, near the Main Street flagpole, where a loaded tractor-trailer truck had become disabled and needed to be towed away. 

State police said that the five cars involved in the I-84 crash were traveling in the left lane of a three-lane section of the highway, about one-half mile west of Exit 10, at about 9:16 am when traffic on the highway slowed to a stop.

A chain-reaction accident then occurred that involved the five autos.

Motorist David Matusz, 34, of Durham, who was driving a 2009 Subaru Legacy, had failed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of him and then collided with the rear end of a 2002 Nissan Maxima driven by George Veatch, 78, of Southbury, state police said.

That impact caused the Nissan to be pushed into the rear end of a 2010 Audi S-4 driven by John Fitzgerald, 49, of Cheshire, state police said.

Consequently, the Audi was pushed into the rear end of 2011 Volkswagen GTI driven by Stephen Keaney, 41, of Longmeadow, Mass., state police said.

That impact caused the Volkswagen to be pushed into the rear end of a 2001 BMW 325-I driven by Mark Lounsbury, 35, of Southbury, state police said.

Newtown Hook & Ladder firefighters and Newtown Volunteers Ambulance Corps members were dispatched to the accident.

State police said that Veatch, who was driving the Nissan, was transported to Danbury Hospital for a medical evaluation.

State police said they issued Matusz three violations — following too closely, driving without automotive insurance, and failure to carry a valid registration card.