Chain-Reaction Crash Involves Police Cruiser

By Andrew Gorosko

A five-vehicle chain-reaction accident on South Main Street near Park Lane, which included a police patrol car, created extended traffic backups midday Monday on southbound and northbound South Main Street.

The accident occurred when a southbound sport-utility vehicle slammed into the rear end of a town police car, which was approaching a southbound line of traffic that was waiting for the car at the head of the line to make a left turn. The struck police car transmitted the impact of the crash to the three vehicles ahead of it in a chain-reaction sequence, according to police.

Police patrol officer Richard Robinson, 35, who was driving the police car, received medical treatment for neck and back pain, police said.

The multi-car collision, to which numerous police officers responded, resulted in traffic delays for 90 minutes or more on heavily traveled South Main Street, also known as Route 25. The crash occurred near Newtown Animal Clinic at 98 South Main Street.

Sergeant George Sinko investigated the crash for police.

According to Sgt Sinko, Officer Robinson was driving patrol car #9 southbound on South Main Street about 12:29 pm when he came upon several vehicles which were stopped in the southbound lane and waiting behind a vehicle which was waiting for northbound traffic to pass by to make a left turn.

As the 2000 Ford Crown Victoria police car was stopping for the stopped line of traffic, the police car was struck from behind by a southbound 1998 Dodge Durango sport-utility vehicle driven by Nancy L. Romano, 45, of Chenango Forks, N.Y., police said.

The impact of that crash forced the police car forward into the rear end of a 1984 Saab 900-T coupe driven by Thomas M. Cardone, 48, of Trumbull, police said.

The impact of that collision forced the Saab into the rear end of a 1992 Buick Regal driven by Paul D. Martin, 68, of 54 Orchard Hill Road, police said. Kate Martin, 37, of the same address was a passenger in the Buick.

The impact of that crash reportedly forced the Buick forward into the rear end of a vehicle that bore New Jersey marker plates, police said. That vehicle then left the area and its driver is unknown, police said.

Other than the neck and back pain reported by Officer Robinson, there were no other injuries reported in the accident, police said.

Police said they are investigating the accident and may press charges against Romano, the driver of the vehicle that initiated the chain reaction.