Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP - 1087 Broad Street, Suite 201, Bridgeport, CT 06604

Truck Driver was Killed on I 95

On Thursday, April 2 a truck driver was killed when his vehicle hit an overpass on Interstate 95 in Fairfield.

According to Fairfield police the accident happened at around 10 in the morning on the I 95 northbound near the Exit 23 off ramp. The truck had dropped off a trash container at McDonald’s and accidentally left up its boom. The boom then hit the Meadowbrook Road overpass which caused the truck to roll onto its side and hit the metal guard rail, which went through the cab.

Fairfield Firefighters responded to the scene where the steel guard rail was wrapped around the cab. It was very difficult to extricate the driver and it took a long time with the fire units eventually completing the job around 12.30 p.m. Traffic backed up for around two hours as the roadway on the Kings Highway overpass was reduced to a single lane while crews waited for the State Department of Transport Inspectors to arrive to examine any damage to the bridge.

The truck driver was 32 year old John Collett of Wallingford and he was taken to Bridgeport hospital where he died of his injuries.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

Major Accident on Interstate 95

On Saturday March 28 there was a major accident on Interstate 95 near the Fairfield-Westport border.

According to authorities the accident happened just before 2.00 a.m. between Exits 18 and 19 northbound near the Sasco Creek Overpass on the Interstate 95. Two vehicles crashed and then rolled over and firefighters from both Fairfield and Westport were dispatched to the scene. Four people then had to be cut from the wreckage as three of them were trapped in one vehicle and one person in the other. The person who was alone in the vehicle was uninjured but the other three were suffering from moderate to severe injuries and had to be taken to hospital. Two were transported to Bridgeport Hospital and the other was taken to Norwalk Hospital.

According to Fairfield Assistant Fire Chief it was a very complex extrication which managed to save lives and reduce the impact of the accident on the victims.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

There May be a Return to Electronic Tolls

On Wednesday morning the Connecticut General Assembly’s Public Transportation Committee held a public meeting on Wednesday morning to collect input on a proposal to install electronic tolls at the state’s borders.

Some suggest the measure would solve the deficit in the state transportation fund and would help to upgrade the state’s roads, bridges and railways.

Connecticut phased out tolls in the 1980s after a deadly accident at a Stratford toll booth and previous attempts to reinstate them have failed.

There are no proposals so far as to how much the tolls might be but it is thought they could generate between $9 and $22 billion over 30 years, depending on how much they are.

Supporters say there could be differential pricing for those who live in the state as opposed to those from out of state who would pay more. However, those opposed to the toll said that if those from out of state had to pay tolls, especially more than locals, it would discourage them from visiting Connecticut businesses. They also say toll booths would cause congestion in the border towns if drivers were to use local roads to avoid paying the tolls.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

Widening of Interstate 95 Proposed

The largest highway project in Connecticut, including a widening of Interstate 95 has been proposed.

There are often mile long jams along the I 95, which between Stamford and Bridgeport start in the morning rush at 6:30 a.m., and can last for more than four hours and stretch for 20 miles. In addition, there is no question that some of the roads in the state are deteriorating.

However while some business groups support the proposal to widen the road, others say that the state should improve public transportation instead.

Those in favor say that the traffic congestion is choking economic growth in the state and the big problem is out of state drivers. In 2014, in Greenwich, vehicles with Connecticut license plates only accounted for 36.2% of the vehicles on the road. New York license plates accounted for 39.3% and 24.5% were from other states.

It cannot be denied that there could be environmental challenges to widening the highway including affecting wetlands in the eastern section from Branford to Rhode Island and around 200 properties which would need to be acquired. In addition, the congestion would become worse during the construction period.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

Major Accident on Interstate 95 Leads to Many Injuries

On Sunday morning there was a major accident which led to several injuries.

According to authorities, the accident happened at around 9.15 a.m. on a ramp which exits the Gold Star Memorial Bridge. By the time all the cars were involved it actually stretched from the southbound ramp of I 95 that exits to Williams Street, and back on to the Gold Star Bridge. At that time there was ice which was appearing quickly throughout the area. Twenty two cars were involved and fifteen people were injured, two of them seriously. It appeared that none of the injuries were life threatening, but there were some children among those injured. The victims were sent to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital as well as the Pequot Medical Center in Groton.

Connecticut State Police shut the ramp to motorists, and then directed emergency personnel and vehicles up the ramp the wrong way to reach the accident. There were fire trucks from New London Fire Department along with paramedics from Lawrence and Memorial. In addition there were ambulances from Groton, Waterford, Mystic and the Submarine Base Fire Department who had to make return trips due to the number of people injured.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

Woman Killed while Crossing the Road

A woman was killed while crossing the road on Tuesday morning as she crossed King Street in Greenwich.

According to police, the accident happened at around 7 in the morning, when an unidentified 51 year old woman who worked as a housekeeper disembarked a Westchester County Bee Line bus together with a co worker and was crossing King Street to go to work from the west side to the east side.

At the same time, a Mitsubishi Eclipse being driven by a man from New York State was driving northbound on King Street at the intersection with Anderson Hill Road.

The Mitsubishi hit the woman and she suffered severe injuries and was taken to the Greenwich hospital, where she died of her injuries. The driver of the vehicle, who was alone, was not injured.

The name of the deceased was not released until overseas family could be informed, but it is known that she came from Elmsford, NY.

Police are still investigating and are asking for witnesses to come forward.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

Driver Not Wearing Seat Belt Killed on Interstate 95

On Sunday, a driver was killed after his car struck another vehicle on Interstate 95 north in Westport and then turned over.

According to authorities, the accident happened at around 2.30 a.m. when 22 year old Alan J. Alexis, was driving at high speed in a Nissan Xtera in the right lane of three. He swerved to avoid an Infiniti G37X in front of him and hit the back left side of a vehicle driven by 23 year old Dekera E. Lewis of Norwalk. Then Alexis steered to the right, which caused the car to roll over twice and land in the left and center lanes.

Alexis, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the car, and landed in the center lane. He was rushed to Norwalk Hospital to be treated for serious injuries, but died of his injuries.

Lewis and her two 23 year old passengers both from Bridgeport, Lacorrah Dlayne and Ashley Lyons, 23, were uninjured and they were all wearing seat belts.

The accident remains under investigation and no charges have yet been filed.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

Lucky Escape in Accident Involving Tractor Trailer

In what could have been a serious incident on Monday, there were no serious injuries.

According to authorities, the incident happened just before 11.30 a.m. when a cargo trailer was being hauled on southbound Interstate 95. At around Exit 4 it then disconnected from the truck tractor pulling it and smashed into a passenger car. The car was then forced onto the Jersey barrier in the center of the highway in Cos Cob.

By the time that Greenwich fire fighters arrived at the scene, the female driver of the car was already outside of her vehicle and she was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.

The left lanes in both directions were closed while heavy duty tow truck crews worked to remove the car from the median and the truck tractor and the trailer.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of a truck accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

Two Tractor Trailers Totalled

Early Friday morning two tractor trailers collided on Interstate 84.

According to police, the accident happened shortly after 4 a.m. on Interstate 84 eastbound between exits 66 and 67 in Vernon. They said that one tractor trailer truck was parked on the side of the highway while its driver, 45 year old Jonathan Oberko, of Bronx NY, was sleeping in the sleeper cab section.

Then a second truck, driven by 42 year old Artan Nika, of Peabody MA, moving eastbound on the highway in the right lane, drifted onto the shoulder section of the roadway, and collided with Oberko’s truck. The impact caused Nika’s truck to catch fire, which rapidly ran out of control.

Neither of the drivers was seriously injured and Nika said he was unhurt and refused medical attention at the scene, whereas Oberko reported non life threatening injuries and taken to Rockville Hospital for treatment.

Both sides of the highway were closed for about 40 minutes while fire crews worked to extinguish the fire but both rigs were totalled in the accident, and were towed away from the scene.

Eastbound lanes were reopened to traffic by 11:30 a.m.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of a truck accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.

Several Crashes Due to Black Ice

Early on Tuesday morning black ice in the area caused a large number of motor vehicle accidents including several involving trucks.

There was a crash involving a commuter bus on the northbound side of I-91 near Exit 38 in Windsor resulting in nine people being taken to Hartford Hospital. It is unclear how serious the injuries are.

A school bus carrying 12 students crashed into a pole on Bidwell Street in Hartford and there were no serious injuries.

Route 9 southbound was closed near Exit 9 in Haddam after a tractor-trailer struck an overpass on the icy road, and a tractor-trailer jackknifed on I 84 eastbound between exits 46 and 48 in Hartford just before 3.30 a.m.

Another jackknifed tractor-trailer then blocked the left lane left lane on I 84 between exits 57 and 56 on the westbound side.

A truck and a car were involved in a crash on I 91 north between exits 28 and 29 in Hartford then there was a third jackknifed tractor-trailer on I 91 south between exits 17 and 15 in Wallingford.

I 691 west was closed between exits 4 and 3 in Southington because of another tractor-trailer crash at 4.30 a.m. and on the eastbound side of I 691, the highway was closed between exits 3 and 4 because of an overturned tractor-trailer.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of a truck accident, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.