Caught In Guide Wires

Newtown Police report Luke Loudon, 25, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2016 Volvo VHD owned by Newtown Highway Department, was removing snow from the roadway on Philo Curtis Road at 9:54 pm January 25. While backing up, the vehicle got caught in the guide wires of a utility pole, doing damage as Loudon attempted to free the vehicle.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was not towed.

No enforcement action.

Hit Car Stopped For Bus

Newtown Police report Stephanie Durkee, 26, of Orange, operating a 2023 Hyundai Elantra, was traveling northbound on Hattertown Road at 10:14 am January 27. She was traveling behind a 2019 Ford Five Hundred operated by Cory Carter, 40, of Hamden. Carter came to a stop for a southbound school bus that had stopped with its lights on and stop sign out. Durkee was unable to stop in time and rear ended Carter’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Durkee’s vehicle was towed.

Durkee was issued a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions.

Collision On Left Turn

Newtown Police report Grace Smith, 29, of Trumbull, operating a 2019 Hyundai Sonata, was traveling northbound on South Main Street at 10:37 am January 27. Carl Georgi, 72, of Newtown, operating a 2011 Subaru Forester, was traveling southbound on South Main Street. Smith attempted to turn left into a private lot and was struck by Georgi’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Both vehicles were towed.

Smith was issued a verbal warning for failure to grant right of way while making a left turn.

Struck Mounted Tire

Newtown Police report Christopher McAndrew, 59, of Newtown, operating a 2018 GMC Terrain, was traveling eastbound on Sugar Street at 10:41 am January 27. He was traveling behind a 2017 Jeep Wrangler operated by Ellie Garbowski, 16, of Newtown. Garbowski stopped, and McAndrew did not stop in time, striking a tire mounted to the rear of Garbowski’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

McAndrew was issued a verbal warning for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Trailer Strikes Lamp Post, Bridge

Newtown Police report Joseph Vinci, 58, of Southbury, operating a 2016 Ram Truck 3500 pulling a horse trailer, was traveling in a private driveway on Huntingtown Road at 5:12 am January 28. While negotiating a turnaround in the driveway, the trailer struck a coach lamp style light post that bordered the driveway. When attempting to exit the property, the vehicle had to make a wide right turn onto a bridge and the trailer struck a bridge railing, and the right two tires went off the bridge, causing the underside of the trailer to become stuck on the bridge decking.

No injuries were reported, including the one horse passenger. The trailer was freed by a tow truck.

Rear Ended On South Main

Newtown Police report Deana Kosmalski, 29, of Newtown, operating a 2015 Infiniti Q50, was traveling southbound on South Main Street at 2:47 pm January 28. Yuckwen Luo, 68, of Potomac, Md., operating a 2013 Honda Civic, was traveling southbound on South Main Street ahead of Kosmalski. Luo stopped at the intersection of Ethan Allen Road and Kosmalski did not stop in time, rear-ending Luo’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Both vehicles were towed.

Kosmalski received a written warning for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Unsafe Backing

Newtown Police report Maria Asprelli, 49, of Milford, operating a 2023 Toyota Rav4, was traveling southbound on Botsford Hill Road at 2:53 pm January 28. Denise Durkin, 27, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2020 Jeep Compass, was traveling southbound on Botsford Hill Road behind Asprelli’s vehicle. Asprelli came to a stop for a police car blocking the roadway to allow a tractor trailer to back up. Durkin came to a stop behind. The police car backed up and came to a stop in from of Asprelli’s vehicle. Aspelli attempted to back up and struck Durkin’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Aspreilli was issued a written warning for unsafe backing.

Collision In Parking Lot

Newtown Police report Guy Serra, 65, of Newtown, operating a 2016 Ford F450, was backing up in a parking lot on Mt Pleasant Road at 3:10 pm January 28. Sheldon Smith, 80, of Newtown, operating a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe, was making a left turn to pull into a parking space and came to a stop. Serra backed into Smith’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

No enforcement action was taken since the incident occurred on private property.

Honda Hits Chevrolet

Newtown Police report Eric Meyer, 83, of Newtown, operating a 2018 Honda HR-V, was traveling eastbound on Taunton Lane at 2:47 January 29. Robert Hegarty, 71, of Brookfield, operating a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, was traveling southbound on Mt Pleasant Road. Meyer attempted to make a left-hand turn onto Mt Pleasant Road and struck Hegarty’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Both vehicles were towed.

Meyer was issued a verbal warning for failure to grant right of way from a stop sign.

Both Operators Warned

Newtown Police report Arthur Capeci, 60, of Newtown, operating a 2012 Acura RDX, was traveling southbound in a driveway on Bear Hills Road at 11:43 am January 30. Daniel Grossman, 41, of Newtown, operating a 2018 Tesla Model 3, was traveling westbound on Bear Hills Road. Capeci pulled out onto the road and struck Grossman’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

Capeci received a verbal warning for failure to grant right of way at a private drive. Grossman received a verbal warning for operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

Backed Into Car

Newtown Police report Kyle June, 17, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2014 Chevrolet Sonic, was traveling westbound on Riverside Road at 2:44 pm February 2. Gavin Bazuro, 17, of Sandy Hook, operating a 2010 Honda Pilot, was traveling westbound on Riverside Road. June pulled into the eastbound lane and stopped, then attempted to back into a private driveway. Bazuro’s vehicle then struck June’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Neither vehicle was towed.

June was issued a verbal warning for unsafe backing.

Evading Charge

Newtown Police report that on February 6, Lauren Vangele, 23, of Waterbury, turned herself in to Newtown Police Department on an active arrest warrant. She was taken into custody and charged with evading responsibility for injury or property damage and failure to obey a stop sign.

She was released on a $350 bond with a court date of February 17 in Danbury Superior Court.