Struck Live Animal On Roadway

Newtown Police report that Hector Torres, 37, of Waterbury, operating a 2003 Harley-Davidson, was traveling westbound on Wasserman Way at 7:38 am July 27. Torres’s vehicle made a left turn onto Nunnawauk Road and in the process struck a live animal on the roadway. Torres’s vehicle then lost its balance, struck the curb on the right side of the roadway, fell down, and slid on its right side on the ground.

Torres had a lump on his right foot and abrasions on his right arm. Torres was checked by Newtown EMS and refused further medical attention. The vehicle was towed.

No enforcement action was taken.

Ran Off-Road And Struck Guard Rail

Newtown Police report that Sergio Manuel Lopez, 20, of Danbury, operating a 2023 Hyundai Tucson, was traveling southbound with a passenger on Taunton Hill Road at 11:23 pm July 28. Lopez’s vehicle ran off the roadway and struck a metal guard rail. The vehicle continued along the guard rail until it struck a large tree on the shoulder. Lopez’s vehicle then overturned and came to rest on its roof in the middle of the road. The passenger stated that they and the driver got into an argument, which caused them to go off-road. Lopez stated that he looked down for a brief second, which caused him to go off-road.

Lopez had suspected serious injuries and was transported to Danbury Hospital. The passenger had minor injuries and was also transported to Danbury Hospital. The vehicle was towed from the scene due to damage.

Lopez was issued an infraction for failure to maintain a lane.

Unsafe Passing

Newtown Police report that Cynthia Miller, 67, of Newtown, operating a 2009 Volvo XC70, was stopped in the northbound lane of South Main Street before the intersection of Sugar Street at 3:03 pm July 30. Ivelisse Faith Espinal, 19, of Waterbury, operating a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu, was stopped northbound behind Miller’s vehicle. Espinal’s vehicle attempted to pass Miller’s vehicle on the left to enter the northbound left turn lane. When passing, the front passenger side bumper of Espinal’s vehicle made contact with the rear driver side bumper area of Miller’s vehicle, causing damage.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Espinal was issued an infraction for unsafe passing.

Following Too Close

Newtown Police report that Caitlin Lee Spelts, 29, of Newtown, operating a 2002 Subaru Forester, and Edwin Gonzalez, 68, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., operating a 2014 Honda Accord, were traveling northbound on South Main Street at 5:10 pm July 31. Gonzalez’s vehicle then came to a stop, and the front bumper of Spelts’s vehicle struck the rear bumper of Gonzalez’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Spelts was issued a verbal warning for following too closely resulting in an accident.

Unable To Stop In Time

Newtown Police report that Alfredo Alexander Porta, 28, of Danbury, operating a 2010 Nissan Altima, and Franco Mathew Cacho, 19, of Newtown, operating a 2014 Nissan Rogue, were traveling eastbound on Church Hill Road at 9 pm July 31. Cacho’s vehicle was traveling in front of Porta’s vehicle. Cacho stated that he slowed due to a vehicle turning in front of him. Porta stated that he observed Cacho’s vehicle slowing, but was unable to stop his vehicle in time and struck the rear of Cacho’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Porta’s vehicle sustained moderate front end damage, while Cacho’s vehicle sustained minor rear bumper damage.

Porta was issued a verbal warning for following too close.

Backed Into Stationary Vehicle

Newtown Police report that Timothy Francois, 65, of Newtown, operating a 2020 Honda CR-V, was backing out of a parking space on South Main Street at 3:01 pm on August 1. He backed his vehicle into the vehicle of Lewellyne Cyreech Jones, 42, of New Haven, operating a 2021 Ram Promaster, which was stationary parked. When backing up, the rear of Francois’s vehicle impacted the front of Jones’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

No enforcement action was taken.

Chain-Reaction

Collision

Newtown Police report that Ryan Joseph Genovese, 23, of Brookfield, operating a 2018 Hyundai Elantra, Ana Carolina Reis, 40, of Brookfield, operating a 2024 Kia K5, and Cheryl Ostermayer, 54, of Newtown, operating a 2015 Nissan Altima, were traveling northbound on Hawleyville Road at 4 pm August 1. Ostermayer’s vehicle was traveling in front of Reis’s vehicle, and Genovese’s vehicle was behind Reis’s vehicle. Ostermayer stated that as she was negotiating the right curve, she observed a vehicle stopping in the roadway making a turn. Ostermayer’s vehicle then came to a stop in the roadway. Reis stated that she observed the vehicles stopping, so she slowed her vehicle. Genovese was unable to stop his vehicle in time, and struck the rear of Reis’s vehicle. The impact caused Reis’s vehicle to strike the rear of Ostermayer’s vehicle. Genovese stated that upon negotiating the curve, he observed the vehicles slowing and stopping, but was unable to stop his vehicle in time, and struck the rear of the vehicle traveling in front of him.

Reis sustained minor injuries and refused medical transport. No other injuries were reported. Genovese’s and Reis’s vehicles were towed.

Genovese was issued an infraction for following too close.

Bumped Into Fence

Newtown Police report that Tijani Okuntu, 35, of Manchester, operating a 2020 Mitsubishi Fuso, was backing out of a driveway on Housatonic Drive and bumped into a fence on the property line at 11:07 am on August 2. The fence suffered some scratches and the post was allegedly moved from its original position and was pushed back.

No injuries were reported. No damage was done to Okuntu’s vehicle.

No enforcement action was taken.

Failure To Appear Charge

Newtown Police report that Galo Rodriguez-Villavicencio, 33, of New Haven, was brought into the Newtown Police Lobby escorted by Bail Enforcement Agents with two active warrants at 3:19 pm August 2. Rodriguez-Villavicencio was subsequently placed under arrest and is being held on a total $225,000 court set bond for two counts of first-degree failure to appear. Rodriguez-Villavicencio was released on bond with a scheduled court date of August 13 at Danbury Court.

Stolen Vehicle Involved In Crash

Newtown Police report that a 2009 GMC Sierra with an unidentified driver was traveling southbound on Berkshire Road at 7:59 pm August 2. The Sierra was traveling at a speed too fast for roadway conditions and crossed over the center dividing line and struck the vehicle of Kyle Rizzo, 31, of Brookfield, operating a 2018 Honda CR-V. Debris from the collision struck the vehicle of James Licari, 50, of Oxford, operating a 2024 Nissan Pathfinder, who was directly behind Rizzo’s vehicle. The unidentified driver’s vehicle fled the scene of the collision and turned off onto High Rock Road.

Rizzo and a passenger in his vehicle sustained minor injuries from the seat belt lock up during collision, and did not require medical attention on the scene. Rizzo’s vehicle was towed.

When checking several possible routes the unidentified driver’s vehicle could have fled on and a distinct engraving in the asphalt from the scene of the collision, the vehicle was located at the intersection of Great Ring Road and Sand Hill Road unoccupied and missing the front driver side tire. The vehicle was also towed.

The registered owner of the vehicle reported the vehicle stolen to Monroe PD on August 3, and provided a written statement to Newtown Police on August 4 that their vehicle was stolen and they were not driving during the time the collision occurred.

If identified, the operator of the stolen vehicle will be charged with evading responsibility, physical injury, failure to maintain proper lane of travel, and traveling too fast for conditions.

Conflicting Accounts On Incident

Newtown Police report that Audra Carlson, 31, of Norwich, operating a 2013 Honda Civic, was stopped for a red traffic light on Mile Hill Road facing west in the westbound travel lane at 1:41 pm August 3. Carlson stated that while she was stopped at the red light, the vehicle of Peggy Nelson, 74, of Hamden, operating a 2017 Subaru Impreza, rolled backwards and collided with her vehicle.

Nelson’s vehicle was stopped at a red traffic light on Mile Hill Road and facing west in the westbound travel lane in front of Carlson’s vehicle. Nelson stated that while she was stopped at a red light, Carlson’s vehicle rolled forward and collided with her vehicle. Newtown Police note that Carlson’s vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission. Carlson said that because of that fact, it is not possible for her vehicle to have rolled forward without releasing the clutch pedal and accelerating. Newtown Police observed that the rear bumper of Nelson’s vehicle struck the front bumper of Carlson’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Due to conflicting accounts on how the accident occurred, Newtown Police were unable to determine who was at fault, and no enforcement action was taken.

Hit Mailbox

Newtown Police report Shivasai Bathini, 22, of New Haven, operating a 2011 BMW 328xi, was traveling northbound on Botsford Hill Road at 8:54 am August 4. While traveling, the front passenger side tire blew out, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway to the right. The vehicle hit a mailbox and several rocks.

EMS was called to the scene and treated a passenger for minor injuries, but he was not transported. Bathini reported minor pain in his leg but declined medical attention. The vehicle was towed.

Bathini was issued an infraction for failure to drive in the proper lane.