Snowy Roads Lead To Multiple Accidents

By Andrew Gorosko

A late winter snowstorm brought treacherous driving conditions to the area on Friday, February 22, keeping police busy responding to a string of storm-related motor vehicle accidents.

The most serious accident in town during the storm occurred about 4 am on westbound Interstate 84, near Exit 10, when a 64-year-old Bristol man, who was a passenger in a pickup truck, died after suffering injuries when the truck rolled over and its roof collapsed. (See related story.)

Another pickup truck rollover accident occurred on eastbound I-84, west of Exit 10, about 12:20 pm. The man who was driving that truck refused medical attention.

Also, a sport-utility vehicle driven by a Danbury woman rolled over on Button Shop Road about 11:30 am, after which she was transported to Danbury Hospital, according to police.

About 12:45 pm, a sport-utility vehicle traveling on a snowy Sugar Street went out of control and flipped onto its right side. Its driver was uninjured. 

During February 22, town police investigated 15 motor vehicle accidents, most of which involved no injuries. Also, police received reports of 15 motor vehicles becoming disabled on local roads during the stormy day.

At 3:30 am on February 22, a man driving a minivan southward along a hazardous snow-covered section of Toddy Hill Road lost control of the vehicle and it collided with a utility pole, shattering it. The accident occurred on the section of Toddy Hill Road lying between its intersections with Marlin Road and Button Shop Road. The driver was transported to Danbury Hospital to be treated for injuries.

That accident resulted in a road closure along that section of Toddy Hill Road.

About 9 am, a man who was driving a sport-utility vehicle southward on the snowy Toddy Hill Road encountered a barricade that was placed across the street to keep drivers out of the area where the broken utility pole was being replaced. But the man lost control of his vehicle and drove through the barricade.

Other storm-related accidents occurred across town, as motorists found that their vehicles did not handle as well on snowy roads as they normally do on dry pavement. (See police reports.)

Because school was not in session on February 22 due to a school vacation, the traffic volume on local roads was much lower than normal, reducing the potential for storm-related accidents.

Other snow-related accidents occurred at locations including Orchard Hill Road, Berkshire Road, and Mt Pleasant Road.