Bridgeport Man Injured In South Main St Rollover

By Andrew Gorosko

Firefighters worked for more than 45 minutes early on the morning of November 7 to free a Bridgeport man from the crushed wreckage of a compact car, which had gone off South Main Street and smashed into a tree next to a brook.

Injured motorist Antonio Debrito, 30, of Bridgeport was in good condition midday November 9 in Danbury Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Police said Mr Debrito, who was alone, was driving a 1995 Honda Civic sedan northward near 91 South Main Street, when he lost control of the auto after being temporarily blinded by the high-beam headlamps of an oncoming southbound vehicle.

The Honda then ran off the road to the right and struck three wooden guardposts, after which it traveled down an embankment and came to rest lying upon its right side. The vehicle’s front windshield had smashed into a large tree next to a stream located about ten feet below the grade of the street.

Police received a call for help from a passerby about 12:14 am. It is unclear how long Mr Debrito was trapped inside the auto before the accident was noticed. Mr Debrito was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, police said.

Newtown Hook & Ladder and Botsford firefighters, as well as the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, responded to the scene.

As emergency crews worked to free Mr Debrito from the crushed Honda, South Main Street was closed to traffic in that area.

Newtown Hook & Ladder Fire Chief Ray Corbo said Botsford firefighters were called to the scene to provide additional personnel for the complex extrication of Mr Debrito. Approximately 25 firefighters overall were present, he said.

Considering the amount of damage to the auto, Mr Debrito was fortunate to have received relatively minor injuries, Chief Corbo said.

“He was a pretty lucky guy…It could have been a lot worse,” Chief Corbo said. Mr Debrito received lower body injuries after has legs became pinned underneath the auto’s crushed dashboard.

The impact of the auto striking the tree caused its front windshield to shatter and its dashboard to collapse onto Mr Debrito. To gain access to the trapped man, firefighters cut through the crushed auto’s roof . They also later pulled the auto away from the tree to free Mr Debrito.

During the extrication, Mr Debrito was conscious, said Chief Corbo. A paramedic monitored his medical condition.

During the extrication, the area was illuminated by the fire companies’ emergency lighting gear.

The process of removing Mr Debrito from the collapsed auto posed one of the more complex driver extrications from accident wreckage in recent memory, said Chief Corbo.

After he was removed from the auto, the ambulance corps transported Mr Debrito to Danbury Hospital, where he was admitted as a patient.

Police issued Mr Debrito a written warning for making a restricted turn. Patrol Officer Sean Buckley investigated.