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Two Car Crashes Lead to Two Deaths

Two car crashes have left a pedestrian and a driver dead.

According to authorities the first incident happened on December 25, Christmas night, at around 8.30 p.m. when 18 year old Robert Weidig Jr. was hit by a car which was going north on Route 68. The car driver, 60 year old Barbara Ross of Cheshire was uninjured but was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and failure to maintain a proper lane.

She was released on $5,000 bail and will appear in New Haven Superior Court on January 14.

The next morning at around 4 a.m. a driver, who has not yet been identified, was killed when he was travelling on the I 84 westbound near the Exit 57 off ramp. It appears the car lost control and crashed into the exit sign, a metal guardrail and finally an electrical box, which then caught fire and set light to the vehicle. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

If you have been injured in a serious accident, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Fatality on Saturday Morning

On Saturday morning, a man died having collided with another vehicle on Route 66.

According to police, the accident happened at around 2 a.m. on the Portland-Cobalt road. A Mazda was traveling eastbound and it collided with a Chevrolet Tahoe which was traveling westbound. They were both on a narrow stretch of road which goes through a large rock embankment known as the Ledges.

A man was pronounced dead at the scene and police later identified him as 73 year old Don J. Martin of East Hampton. Police did not specify which vehicle Martin was driving.

The road was closed for about two miles between Portland and East Hampton, whilst the investigation was carried out, but at the moment no further information is available.

This is not the first fatality in this area as about a year and a half ago, a driver died in a crash in the Ledges as well.

If you have been injured in a serious accident, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Pedestrian Killed Following Basketball Game

On Thursday night, a Connecticut man was struck and killed by a vehicle on Route 3.

According to East Rutherford Police, the accident happened just after 10.30 p.m. following the end of the UConn-Duke college basketball game at the nearby Izod Center. The 20 year old victim, along with three friends was crossing Route 3 in East Rutherford having attended the game, when a car, driven by an unnamed 35 year old man, hit two of them. The two other pedestrians were not struck or hurt.

The other man who was hit by the vehicle was also from Connecticut and he was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries.

The police went on to say that no charges were filed against the 35-year-old driver of the vehicle.

The victim’s name was not immediately released and police are still investigating the accident.

If you have been injured in a serious car accident , and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Case Settled For Woman Injured When Man Ran Red Light

A lawsuit has been settled for $672,500 in the case of a woman who sustained back injuries when a car ran a red light and crashed into her pickup truck.

In September 2008, Gina Phillips, aged 53, was driving her Chevrolet Silverado along Willetts Avenue in New London, when a Cadillac DeVille, driven by 29 year old Bernard Taylor, ran a red light at the intersection with Ocean Avenue and hit her pickup on the driver’s side.

Taylor was ticketed at the time by police for running the red light.

Despite suffering pain, Phillips continued to work in the family owned business, but her back became progressively worse and after six weeks she went to see a doctor. An MRI revealed herniated discs which necessitated an operation.

Unfortunately the pain continued after the operation and affected her work as she cannot remain standing nor sitting for long periods of time. In addition, being a single mother to three children, this affects her family life.

Even though the defense argued that she had a pre existing back injury she was awarded $672,500.

If you have been injured in a serious car accident with a driver who ran a red light, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Truck Driver Causes Chaos on Roads

An unlicensed truck driver slammed into a bridge on Tuesday.

According to police, Ishad Knight, 29, of Miami, Florida, was driving a truck laden with liquefied margarine when he took no notice of the numerous warning signs and hit the overpass at the Connecticut state line with New York. His truck then caught on fire, and hundreds of gallons of margarine were spilled all over the roadway, but he was not injured.

Knight was driving on I-287 in Westchester when his Google map program told him to turn onto the Hutchinson Parkway north. It appears that he was using his cell phone to navigate instead of using a commercial grade GPS and hence was distracted.

Police went on to say that the accident was one of the most difficult to clear that they can remember due to the fire and the resultant debris. Normally a truck can be moved quickly but in this case the northbound Merritt was shut through the evening hours.

Westchester County Police issued four tickets after the crash on Tuesday morning, and they also plan to bill the trucking company for the cost of police overtime. Knight had an invalid Florida license, and was also ticked for disobeying warning signs, for driving a truck on the parkway, which is only for passenger vehicles and for driving a vehicle too tall for the parkway.

If you have been injured in a serious car accident with a truck driver, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

 

 

Teen Driving Facts

Earning a driver’s license is one of the most exciting events in the life of any teenager. It marks the onset of a level of freedom and mobility that can make teens feel like they are finally becoming adults. But with that comes a tremendous amount of responsibility to pedestrians, to other drivers on the road, and to the teen’s own passengers. The following are some facts about teens and driving in the United States.

  • More than 56 percent of teen drivers admit to talking on their cell phones while driving.
  • 16-year-old drivers have the highest rate of car crashes among all driving age groups in the US.
  • In 2010, car crashes accounted for 33 percent of deaths among individuals between 13- and 19-years old.
  • Teen drivers who have parents that are actively involved in their lives and in helping develop their driving habits are twice as likely to wear seat belts every time they get behind the wheel.
  • Fully 20 percent of teen drivers are involved in a car accident during their first year of having a license.
  • Well over one-third of all teen deaths caused by car crashes occur between 9pm and 6am.
  • The cognitive attention requirements of talking on a cell phone while driving reduces a teen driver’s reaction time to that of a 70-year-old.

If you have been injured in a serious car accident, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Pregnant Woman in Fatal Crash

On Wednesday a woman was driving her pregnant friend to the hospital when a crash occurred at exit 46 on the I-95 in New Haven. The car was sandwiched between two trucks.

According to police say their car was hit by a tractor-trailer and then pushed into the back of another big rig. Fifty three year old Gwendolyn Buskie was driving Vera Mercer to hospital to have a c-section.

Gwendolyn Buskie was killed in the crash and Mercer who was in the passenger seat, was seriously injured.

Mercer was rushed to Yale-New Haven hospital where 7 pound four ounce Cameran Faith was delivered by an emergency c-section. Mercer remains in a coma in serious condition but the baby is healthy.

According to police the accident remains under investigation and so far no charges have been filed.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving an automobile and a pedestrian, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Causing Crash

On Friday, a Rhode Island man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for causing a crash in December 2012, on I-95 in Old Lyme that claimed the lives of three women.

According to police, Frank Sundstrom, 52, of Warwick, was drunk and driving the wrong way on I-95 when he crashed into another car carrying the three women. He was charged with three counts of second-degree manslaughter, as well as driving under the influence and driving the wrong way on a divided highway. His full sentence is 30 years in prison, suspended after 14, followed by five years of probation.

The crash happened on Dec. 11, 2012 near Exit 70 about 9 p.m. According to State police, Sundstrom was driving north in the southbound lanes of the highway when his 2000 Oldsmobile Alero crashed into a 2007 Nissan Maxima.

The women in the Nissan — Tamara Nolin, 71, of Branford, Marjorie Minore, 90, of North Haven, and Barbara Prato, 63, of East Haven — all died.

After the crash, Sundstrom was flown to the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven with serious injuries, and stated he had no recollection of the accident or driving into Connecticut from his Rhode Island home.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving an automobile and a pedestrian, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Police Officer Injured while Responding to Emergency

Richard Kenny, a Traffic Division police officer, who was responding by motorcycle to an emergency call, escaped serious injury Friday after he was hit by another vehicle.

According to police, Kenny was headed east on Main Street in Branford at noon, with his lights and siren, when a car turned left in front of him. He impacted with the vehicle and skidded across the pavement onto a lawn.

The driver of the vehicle was 69 year old Cheryl Dombrowski, of Applewood Road. She was cited for failure to grant the right of way from a private driveway and disobeying the signal of an officer.

Chief Kevin Halloran said that Officer Kenny was able to carry out evasive maneuvering and enter a controlled slide due to his extensive motorcycle training by the Connecticut State Police. That, together with years of experience as a motorcycle officer helped him to avoid serious injury.

He went on to say that he was very fortunate not to be seriously injured.

Brandford Fire Department paramedics provided treatment at the scene, and then Kenney was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving negligence, or an automobile with defective parts, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Request for Information Following Deadly Crash

Following a deadly motorcycle accident that occurred Friday night, East Haven police have mounted an investigation and asked anyone with information to contact them.

According to police, two motorcycles were driving westbound on Foxon Rd. and collided with a vehicle that was traveling eastbound on the same road. The accident happened near the North Branford town line at around 8 p.m. and the police also believe another car might have been involved.

The driver of one of the motorcycles, Carlos Dejesus, aged 29, was pronounced dead at the scene and the other motorcyclist, Michael Gatavaski, 29, sustained serious injuries and was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital along with the driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old male, who also sustained injuries.

Route 80 was closed for most of Friday night while police continued their investigation.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving negligence, or an automobile with defective parts, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help