On Interstate 84 on March 23, a man driving a SUV crashed into a parked dump truck being used by a state Department of Transportation (DOT) road sign crew, resulting in the SUV landing on its roof, with both the SUV driver and a DOT worker then being transported to the hospital to be checked for possible injuries.

The incident caused traffic backups and extended travel delays on eastbound I-84, as emergency crews worked at the scene to clean up the wreckage and control fluid spills.

State police said that at about 11 am, motorist Raymond Coyle, 62, of Kensington, Md., was driving a 2012 Toyota RAV-4 SUV eastward on I-84 and then merged into the "exit only" lane for the Exit 11 off-ramp. The Toyota then drifted onto the right road shoulder where it collided with a parked 2015 Model 114-SD nine-ton Freightliner dump truck, which was being used by a DOT traffic sign crew.

The impact caused the SUV to roll over and land on its roof in the "exit only" lane.

At that time, DOT worker Robert Nemcik, 58, of Torrington, had been standing next to the passenger side of the Freightliner. When the SUV hit the Freightliner, the Freightliner moved, striking Nemcik, state police said.

State police said that Coyle and Nemcik both reported minor injuries and were both transported by Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Danbury Hospital for medical evaluations. A Danbury Hospital spokeswoman said there was no information available on the two men.

State police issued Coyle an infraction for failure to maintain the travel lane.

Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company Chief Bill Halstead was incident commander at the accident, supervising about 15 Sandy Hook volunteers. When an initial emergency call indicated that a person was trapped in a vehicle and needed to be extricated, Newtown Hook & Ladder volunteer firefighters were also informed, the fire chief said. But when it was later learned that no extrication was necessary, Hook & Ladder firefighters remained at their fire station, Chief Halstead said.

Chief Halstead added that the SUV driver was outside the SUV when Sandy Hook firefighters arrived at the scene. Firefighters provided immediate care to him before ambulance crews arrived, he said.

Also, firefighters at the scene isolated spilled amounts of gasoline, engine oil, and antifreeze, according to Chief Halstead.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-312025" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/I84-MVA-rollover-01-Toyota-WATERMARKED.jpg" alt="I84 MVA rollover 01 -- Toyota WATERMARKED" width="800" height="534" /]

A Toyota RAV-4 received heavy damage following a crash and rollover on I-84 East near the Exit 11 offramp late Friday morning, March 23. The SUV struck a parked dump truck being used by a state Department of Transportation sign crew working along the interstate.

-Bee Photos, Hicks

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-312026" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/I84-MVA-rollover-03-side-view-of-damaged-truck-WATERMARKED.jpg" alt="2018 Bee P" width="801" height="473" /]

This 2015 Freightliner dump truck was knocked off its chocks, damaged in multiple places along its driver's side, and struck a DOT crew member who had been standing near it when it was hit by a Toyota RAV-4 that had been traveling east on I-84 on Friday, March 23.