Motorist Draws Nine Charges Following Accident With Police Officer

By Andrew Gorosko

Police charged a Danbury motorist with nine offenses, including driving under the influence and drug possession, following an accident in Hawleyville between the motorist and a police officer on the evening of January 2.

Police said they received a report of an erratically driven vehicle in the Mt Pleasant Road area at about 5:50 pm, so they went there to investigate.

While traveling westward on Mt Pleasant Road, near its intersection with Pocono Road, patrol Officer Gary Wheeler, 55, who was driving a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria police car, spotted an eastbound gold-colored 1997 Infiniti I-30 sedan, which crossed Mt Pleasant Road’s center line, so Officer Wheeler attempted to avoid a collision by swerving to the right, police said.

Tyler Dotter, 21, of Danbury was driving the Infiniti, police said.

Although Officer Wheeler swerved, the left exterior rear view mirror of the Infiniti struck the left exterior rear view mirror of the Ford, police said.

The Infiniti kept traveling following the impact, after which Officer Wheeler turned the Ford around and started pursuing the Infiniti, eventually stopping it on Hawleyville Road, police said.

Police said Dotter failed field sobriety testing.

Police charged Dotter with driving under the influence, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to have automotive insurance, evading responsibility, failure to obey a police officer’s signal to stop, making a restricted turn, making an improper turn, and a travel lane violation.

After the incident, both Officer Wheeler and Dotter were transported to Danbury Hospital where they were both treated for injuries and released, police said.

Police released Dotter from custody on a written promise to appear in Danbury Superior Court on January 17 for arraignment on the nine charges.