Road Rage Incident Results

In Crash, Traffic Delays

By Andrew Gorosko

In an apparent case of road rage on Interstate 84 on Monday morning during the commuter rush period, aggressive driving resulted in an accident that sent two people to Danbury Hospital for treatment of injuries.

The accident caused lengthy traffic backups in both directions on the interstate, resulting in many motorists leaving the highway and causing congestion on local roads.

Motorist James Stoops, 43, of Naugatuck was driving a 1989 Dodge van in the left lane of westbound I-84 in the vicinity of Exit 9, as motorist Thuy Phu, 25, of Danbury, was driving a 1991 Acura coupe westbound in the right lane there at about 7:15 am, state police said.

The Dodge swerved to the right causing the Acura to swerve to the right, state police said. The Acura then went out of control, hit steel guard cabling and went down an embankment along the right road shoulder, state police said.

Firefighters extricated Phu from the Acura, state police said. The Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported Phu and her daughter Mikayla Lawrence, 4, to Danbury Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, state police said.

State police said that Stoops had been driving recklessly on westbound I-84 since the Exit 13 area. Stoops had been weaving through traffic and slamming on his brakes whenever the Dodge was in front of the Acura, state police said. Stoops was charged with reckless driving.

Based on conflicting reports, it is unclear whether the accident occurred west of Exit 9 in Newtown, or over the town line in adjacent Bethel.

State police spokesman Trooper Roger Beaupre said the state has no charge known as “road rage,” but other applicable charges are lodged in such incidents.

“This is a typical example of aggressive driving that escalated to an unnecessary motor vehicle accident with injuries,” he said.

In such cases, for various reasons, motorists become enraged and act aggressively against others while driving, he said.

Stoops is scheduled to appear in Danbury Superior Court on October 20 to answer the reckless driving charge.

State police recommend that motorists contact them to report cases of aggressive driving.