Freak Accident Kills Motorcyclist

By Andrew Gorosko

A wild turkey entering the road set off a chain of events April 27 that resulted in the violent death of a Monroe motorcyclist on South Main Street, near the Monroe town line.

Motorcyclist John F. McPadden, 27, of 154 Pastors Walk, was driving a 1998 Honda VF-750 motorcycle northbound on South Main Street about one-quarter mile north of the Monroe town line about 3:20 pm, when a wild turkey entered the roadway from the southbound road shoulder, police said.

Mr McPadden attempted to avoid the bird, but lost control of the motorcycle and entered the southbound lane of South Main Street where he struck an oncoming southbound 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Judit M. Diaz, 21, of Waterbury, police said.

The impact of collision pinned Mr McPadden beneath the oncoming automobile, police said.

United Fire Company of Botsford firefighters and Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps workers extricated Mr McPadden from the collision, police said. Mr McPadden was wearing a helmet.

Attempts to revive the Mr McPadden were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A spokeswoman for the Office of the Chief State’s Medical Examiner in Farmington said Wednesday Mr McPadden’s accidental death was caused by multiple blunt force injuries.

Police said speed does not appear to be a factor in the accident.

Police said they are reviewing various eyewitness accounts of how the accident occurred in formulating their investigative report. A reconstruction of the accident on paper is planned as part of the investigation.

Ms Diaz, and a passenger in the Chevrolet, Jacqueline Rodriguez, 19, of Bridgeport, were transported to Waterbury Hospital for observation and were later released, police said.

Town police are investigating the accident with the assistance of state police.

The collision occurred near the intersection of South Main Street and Bear Hills Road in the area where South Main Street passes through steep rock cuts.

The police investigation of the crash closed the road to traffic for about three hours. Police diverted north-south afternoon rush hour traffic onto a detour on Botsford Hill Road and Swamp Road.