On snowy roads, beware of high speed on curves

The impact of Snowstorm Benji on Saturday, Dec. 9, on the Northwest Corner was comparatively light but there was still an unusually high number of snow-related car crashes. The Connecticut State Police reported 354 car accidents statewide on that day; they also had 258 calls to assist in spin-outs and for help with disabled vehicles.

Troop B reported 14 incidents on roads in the Northwest Corner on that day between noon and midnight. The incidence of crashes was significantly lower during the messy weather on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

Although not fully related to the many crashes on Dec. 9, Bob Green recently found information from the UConn based Connecticut Safety Research Center that shows the frequency of car crashes in our area.

 Green, a resident of Lakeville and director of the Survive the Drive.org educational program (and a former race car driver and Lime Rock Park instructor), in a conversation with state Rep Brian Ohler (R-64), who is on the legislative Transportation Committee, noted the high incidence of crashes hereabouts. 

Ohler said he would like to meet with other state government officials to discuss ways to further  prevent crashes in our area. Green said, “The highest proportion of crashes are single-car crashes, simply due to driver error — especially if drivers don’t adjust for weather and road conditions.”

 Green noted that from the beginning of 2015 to October 2017 statewide, there have been 320,000 crashes involving 765,500 people, making it a safety issue as well as a transportation concern.

Green had contacted Eric Jackson, director of Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center. Jackson responded with maps and diagrams of where crashes occur in Salisbury. Those specific diagrams  and others in Connecticut can be found online at www.tricornernews.com; additional information is available at www.ctcrash.uconn.edu.

Snow crashes on Dec. 9

At about 12:09 p.m., Ann Hellerman, 57, of Norfolk was traveling west on Mountain Road in Norfolk in a 2016 Ford Explorer. 

An unidentified driver was traveling east on Mountain Road. 

Hellerman tried to negotiate a right-hand curve in the road and lost control of her vehicle. She crossed the center of the roadway and went into the path of the oncoming vehicle, which was described as a small SUV-type vehicle with the words “hughes.net” on the side. 

The other vehicle moved to the right edge of the roadway but was struck by the Ford and exited the roadway. The driver then left the scene without exchanging information with Hellerman. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Collins at Troop B.

At about 12:30 p.m., Catherine Fay-Shyer, 61, was traveling north on Cobble Road in Salisbury in a 2017 Audi Q7. Her passengers were Robert Shyer, 86, and Lawrence Mendoza, 33.

While attempting to negotiate a curve to the left, Fay-Shyer lost control of the vehicle due to snow and ice on the roadway. The Audi went off the road to the right and struck a utility pole, sustaining damage to its right side. The car could be driven from the scene.

Mendoza was taken to Sharon Hospital for evaluation of a possible minor injury. 

At the time of the collision it was snowing and snow was accumulating on the roadway. Fay-Shyer was found at fault and was issued a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions. 

At 12:45 p.m., Ivan Zuev, 22, of Westfield, Mass., was stopped on  Saville Dam Road in Barkhamsted in his 2006 Saab. The car was perpendicular to the road and blocking the entire westbound lane, having crashed into the guide wires. 

Rachel Gagne, 41, of Manchester, Conn., was unable to stop her 2013 Nissan Murano due to snow on the road; she could not move entirely into the eastbound lane due to traffic in that lane. The right side of the Murano collided with the rear of the Saab. The Saab remained where it was until it could be towed; the Murano could be driven from the scene. No injuries were reported. Gagne was issued an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions.

At about 1 p.m., Agnes Dzenutis, 52, of Norfolk was traveling west on Route 44 in Colebrook in a 2006 Ford F350 truck registered to Stanley Dzenutis of Norfolk. Her passengers were Paige Dzenutis, 12, and Timothy King, 51.

While negotiating a slight left-hand curve in the road, Dzenutis lost control of the vehicle on the snow-covered road. The truck crossed the center line and then veered to the right, where it exited the roadway off the northern shoulder and then hit a utility pole. One passenger complained of minor injuries. The truck was towed from the scene.

At about 1:30 p.m., Rosemary Bauer Scanlon, 17, of Colebrook was traveling south on Route 8 in Colebrook in a 1999 Jeep Wrangler registered to Wendy Scanlon of Riverton, Conn. 

Just north of Deer Hill Road, due to slippery conditions, the Jeep went off the road and hit a utility pole. The car was towed from the scene and Scanlon was given a verbal warning for traveling too fast for conditions.

At about 2:15 p.m., Todd Lunderborg, 35, of Long Island, N.Y., was traveling west on Route 4 in a 2012 Ford F250 pickup truck. His passenger was Vivienne Lunderborg, 2, of Cornwall. 

Lunderborg lost control of the truck; it ran off the right side of the road, hit a utility pole and rolled onto the driver’s side. No injuries were reported. Lunderborg was issued an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions.

At about 2:45 p.m., Krista Mary Sendewicz, 23, of Kent was traveling west on Route 44 near Prospect Mountain Road in Salisbury in a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. 

She lost control of the vehicle due to adverse road conditions. The Jeep ran off the right side of the road and struck a section of the metal guard rail. The Jeep could be driven from the scene. 

Sendewicz was issued a verbal warning for traveling too fast for conditions.

At about 4 p.m., Mohanad Elserafy, 18, of Millerton was traveling north on Route 7 in Sharon in a 2006 Dodge Stratus.  He was approaching the Salisbury town line when he lost control of the vehicle due to adverse road conditions. The Dodge ran off the left side of the road, struck a rock embankment and rolled over onto its roof. The car was towed from the scene. Elserafy was issued a verbal warning for traveling too fast for conditions.  

At 4 p.m., Gerald Zander, 82, of Falls Village was traveling south on Route 7 in North Canaan near the Mountainside rehabilitation facility in a 2003 Subaru Legacy. He lost control of the Subaru on a curve in the road while traveling too fast for the snow weather conditions. He collided with a crossing sign and then a tree, both located on Mountainside’s property. The car was towed from the scene. Zander was issued a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions.

At about 4:30 p.m., Matthew David Zordan, 35, of Colebrook was traveling east on Route 44 near Flagg Hill Road in Colebrook in a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder registered to Sarah Zordan of Colebrook. While negotiating a curve to the left, the car went off the road to the right, went up an embankment and rolled over onto its top, eventually coming to rest on its passenger side. The vehicle was towed from the scene. Zordan was issued an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions. 

At about 4 p.m., Adrian Roy Alphonse, 38, of Newark, N.J., was traveling east on Route 4 in Cornwall in a 2016 Nissan Sentra registered to Hertz. Alphonse lost control of the car while negotiating a curve; because of snow on the road he was unable to regain control. He struck two wooden wire rope guard rails located off the eastbound roadway and shoulder of Route 4. He was given a verbal warning for traveling too fast. The car was towed from the scene.

At about 4:30 p.m., Gary Lavoie, 59, of Litchfield was traveling east on Route 44 in the area of Wildcat Hollow Road in Salisbury in a 2013 Freightliner registered to the state DOT. His passenger was Chad Jason Feathers, 60, of Sheffield, Mass.

Traveling west on Wildcat Hollow was Angel Gabriel Morales-Quinones, 21, of North Canaan. He was driving a 2016 Honda Civic and lost control of the car while coming out of a curve. It began traveling straight toward the truck. 

Morales-Quinones was able to steer his vehicle to the left,  up an embankment and then back down, colliding with the side-mounted plow on the Freightliner. No injuries were reported; the Honda was towed from the scene. 

Morales-Quinones was issued an infraction for traveling too fast for conditions. 

At about 9:45 p.m., Dylan David Dionne, 18, of Goshen was traveling north on Route 45 in Cornwall in a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz registered to Galen Dionne of Goshen.

Dionne lost control of the vehicle, exited the roadway and collided with a metal guard rail  on the left shoulder of Route 45, south of Pritchard Road. The Hyundai was towed from the scene. Dionne was issued a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions.

At about 9:30 p.m., Felicia Vasquez, no age listed, of Torrington was traveling east on Route 4 in Cornwall in a 2016 Nissan Rogue. Her passengers were Manuel Serrano, 51, and Chante Jose, 13, both of Torrington. 

Vaquez lost control of the Nissan while negotiating a curve on the snow-covered roadway and was unable to regain control. She struck four wooden wire post guard rails located off the eastbound roadway and shoulder of Route 4. 

Vasquez was taken to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital for evaluation. Jose was transported to Waterbury Hospital for a complaint of back pain. The car was towed from the scene.