Sandy Hook Center

Police report they are investigating a motor vehicle accident that occurred near 105 Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook Center about 6 pm May 2, in which one of the motorists left the scene of the crash.

Motorist Hans Nelson, 45, of Ansonia, who was driving a 2003 commercial Ford S-34 van westward, stopped at a crosswalk to allow a waiting pedestrian to cross the street, police said.

An unidentified westbound motorist, who was driving an unspecified vehicle, then struck the rear end of the Ford, according to police. Both motorists then exited their vehicles to check on whether anyone was injured, but there were no injuries, police said.

The driver of the unspecified vehicle then returned to it and drove away, police said. Police are investigating.

Intersection Collision

About 4:11 pm May 7, motorist Edward G. Lucas, 37, of 42 Philo Curtis Road was driving a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am sedan westward on Berkshire Road and then stopped in order to make a proper left turn onto Toddy Hill Road, police report.

Westbound motorist Paul J. Sluti, 61, of Southbury, who was driving a 1994 Ford Taurus sedan, then drove into the rear end of the Pontiac, police said.

Ambulance volunteers transported Lucas to Danbury Hospital to be checked for a back injury, police said. Sandy Hook firefighters went to the accident.

Police said they charged Sluti with driving under the influence and with following too closely. Police released Sluti on $100 bail for a May 21 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

Warrant

Police said that after learning that police held a warrant for her arrest, Sharon K. Mathews, 47, of Danbury went to the police station on the morning of May 7 and was charged with six offenses. The charges stem from a motor vehicle accident that occurred last December 9, police said.

Police said they charged Mathews with driving under the influence, evading responsibility and with two counts each of second-degree reckless endangerment and failure to drive to the right.

The charges stem from an incident on the night of December 9, 2008, on Church Hill Road, near its intersection with The Boulevard, police said.

Police said that Mathews was driving a 2000 Dodge Durango SUV westward on Church Hill Road, when she crossed into the opposite lane and sideswiped an eastbound 2001 Jeep Cherokee SUV. The Dodge then continued onward and struck an eastbound 2008 Volkswagen Passat sedan, according to police.

Ambulance volunteers and Newtown Hook & Ladder firefighters responded to the accident. Following the accident, Mathews was treated and released from Danbury Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

After processing on May 7, police released Mathews on $5,000 bail for a May 21 appearance at Danbury Superior Court.

Swamp Road

Police report they charged a New York man with three criminal offenses early on the morning of May 10 following an incident on Swamp Road.

Police said that Michael Schwark, 28, of Stormville, N.Y., and his unidentified girlfriend were walking along Swamp Road in Botsford at about 4:36 am, when they became involved in an argument. Police said Schwark pushed the woman down, injuring her arm. Schwark then pushed her down again, physically restraining her for about 10 minutes, police said.

The woman was treated at the scene for her injuries, police said.

Police arrested Schwark on charges of third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, and breach of peace. Schwark was scheduled to appear May 11 in Danbury Superior Court to answer the charges.

Auto Vandalized

About 2 pm on May 2, police received a complaint that an auto parked in a parking lot at 31 Peck’s Lane had been vandalized by someone, sometime between 8:10 am and 12:20 pm on April 30.

Police said the auto received intentional damage to its right-side grille and its right-side turn signal. Police list the incident as a case of third-degree criminal mischief and ask anyone with information on the matter to contact Officer Todd Dingee at the police station at 426-5841.

Truck Hits Overpass

J.W.L. Cordova, 31, of Gaithersburg, Md., was driving a 2000 Mitsubishi commercial box truck westward on Botsford Hill Road about 12:30 pm May 9, when the top of the truck struck the underside of the Housatonic Railroad’s rail overpass, police said.

Cordova said the bridge warning sign stated that the bridge clearance was 11-feet, 5 inches, and he believed that the truck was 11 feet tall, so he attempted to drive beneath it, police said.

The top of the truck was damaged; the overpass received minor damage, police said. Cordova was not injured.

Police said they verbally warned him for failure to obey a bridge clearance warning sign.

Nissan Vs Lexus

About 4:49 pm May 7, motorist Christian Soderquist, 35, of 7 Oak Drive, who was driving a 1996 Nissan Pathfinder SUV eastward near 33 Berkshire Road, struck the rear end of an eastbound 2007 Lexus IS-250 sedan driven by Tonia Laemmerhirt, 29, of Woodbury, police report.

There were no injuries. Police said they verbally warned Soderquist for following too closely.

Buttonshop Crash

About 3:16 am May 3, motorist Norma D’Elia, 58, of 27 Buttonshop Road was driving a 2004 Lincoln Aviator SUV eastward on Buttonshop Road, when she fell asleep, lost control of the vehicle and went off the right side of the street, striking a tree, police said.

D’Elia was not injured, police said. Police said they verbally warned her for making a restricted turn.

VW Hits BMW

Motorist Linda Gargano, 46, of Monroe, who was driving a 2007 BMW 328-XI eastward on Mile Hill Road about 11:45 am May 10, stopped and was waiting to make a left turn onto Queen Street, police said.

Eastbound motorist Michele Delima, 32, of Wallingford, who was driving a 2002 Volkswagen Passat sedan, started to pass the BMW on the right, but then sneezed and drove into the BMW, police said.

There were no injuries. Police verbally warned Delima for improper passing.

Wasserman Way

About 4:26 pm May 6, trucker Salvatore Damico, 47, of Hamden, who was driving a 2005 Freightliner truck eastward on Wasserman Way in a left-turn lane, struck two eastbound vehicles that were waiting in a right-turn lane, police said.

Those vehicles were a 2004 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Johnnie Brinkley, 62, of North Haven, and a 1999 Honda Civic sedan driven by Kayla Masko, 21, of 12 Surrey Trail, police said.

There were no injuries. Police said they issued Damico a written warning for making a restricted turn.

Interstate Incident

State police report they received a call from motorist Michael Wade, 52, of Bronx, NY, about 9:15 am on May 10, explaining that he had pulled over on westbound Interstate 84 between Exit 9 and Exit 8 because two female passengers in the vehicle were arguing. Wade told state police that there was a knife present in the vehicle.

One of the passengers received a stab wound in her hand during the incident, state police said.

After investigating at the scene, state police charged Wade with possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, Wade was scheduled for a June 1 court appearance.

State police charged passenger Wanda Person, 54, of Bronx, NY, with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, violation of a protective order, and failure to submit to fingerprinting. 

Also, state police arrested Victoria Chambers, 50, of Yonkers, NY, on charges of disorderly conduct and second-degree reckless endangerment. Both Person and Chambers were scheduled for May 11 court appearances.

Altercation

Police report a verbal altercation among the players, parents, and coaches of two youth soccer teams which each played a game on the afternoon of May 9 at Treadwell Park on Philo Curtis Road.

Police said the dispute occurred about 3 pm, following a soccer game for 13- and 14-year-old boys at the park. The conflict was between a team from Newtown and a team from Stratford, according to police. The teams are in the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association, police said.

Police said they sent about five officers to the scene to resolve the problems, but by the time they arrived there, the people who had the altercation were dispersing.

Police ask anyone who witnessed the incident to contact investigating Officer Larissa Nosal at 426-5841.

Vandalism

Sometime between 10 am on May 8, and 6:30 am on May 9, someone entered the Newtown Fish & Game Club’s property at 11 Taunton Lake Road and damaged some chairs at the club’s pavilion, police report.

Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in that area at that time is asked to contact police Officer Steven Borges at 426-5841.

Collision

Motorist Erica Magliocco, 18, of Shelton, who was driving a 1999 Mercury Mystique sedan northward on South Main Street about 11:45 am May 10, stopped in preparing to turn left onto Park Lane, after which the Mercury was struck from behind by northbound motorist John Williams, 66, of 12 Appleblossom Lane, who was driving a 2001 Honda CRV, police report.

There were no injuries. Police said they verbally warned Williams for failure to keep a reasonable distance apart.

Car Vs Truck

On May 7, Jose Torres, 29, of Bridgeport, who was driving a 2009 International box truck, was parked at a gasoline pump at the Citgo filling station at 151 South Main Street when the truck was hit from behind by motorist Jocelyn Winston, 86, of Southbury, who was driving a 2003 Toyota Camry sedan, police report.

There were no injuries. Police took no enforcement because the incident occurred on private property.

Motorist Charged

Police said they received a report of an intoxicated motorist driving in the area of Peck’s Lane about 3:15 pm May 13, so they went to the area to check on the complaint.

Police said they found the driver in question about 20 minutes later and stopped her near Blue Spruce Drive to investigate.

Police said they charged Bethann Kuhn, 47, of Monroe with driving under the influence. After processing, police released her on $250 bail for a May 27 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.