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Winter Storm Accompanied By A Flurry Of Accidents

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

Heavy winter weather Thursday, February 25, resulted in a rash of 43 auto

accidents across town between the early morning and late night hours, keeping

police busy throughout the day responding to what were mostly minor collisions

caused by the slippery roads.

The accidents occurred all across town and especially in hilly areas and on

curves, explained police Sergeant Michael Kehoe, who was one of the police

supervisors on duty during the high-accident period.

Most accidents were one-car incidents in which there was minor damage, said

police spokesman Detective Robert Tvardzik.

"It was a unique day," Sgt Kehoe said of the many accidents to which police

responded. There were accidents throughout town, he said.

Besides multiple auto accidents on the hilly, curvy Walnut Tree Hill Road,

police handled a cluster of collisions at the intersection of Swamp Road and

Botsford Hill Road.

Police reported three accidents there involving six cars during a short period

that evening. "That area just got slippery at that time," Sgt Kehoe said.

About 7:37 pm, motorist Catherine Lombardo, 37, of 53 Bennett Bridge Road, who

was driving a 1997 Isuzu Rodeo eastbound on Swamp Road, attempted to stop for

the stop sign at Botsford Hill Road, but couldn't stop due to icy conditions,

police said.

In a chain reaction accident, motorist Kathleen Mucci of Southbury, who was

driving a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee, hit the Isuzu in the rear end, police

said.

A 1998 Ford Explorer driven by Marc Lieberman, 42, of 2 Beagle Trail, Sandy

Hook, then hit the Jeep, according to police.

There were no injuries or enforcement actions.

About 8 pm, motorist Allan M. Parker, 48, of 12 Cobbler's Mill Road, who was

driving a 1986 Acura Legend near the accident scene, attempted to stop but

slid into an unoccupied police car which was there for a police investigation

of the first accident, police said.

Parker was uninjured. Police verbally warned him for traveling too fast for

conditions.

About 8:10 pm, motorist Joshua J. Alberghini, 24, of Monroe, who was driving a

1996 Chrysler Cirrus near the accident scene, slid into the Acura which

earlier had struck the police car, police said.

There were no injuries.