A crash involving a state police cruiser along Interstate 95 Westport over the weekend is leading to frustration from state officials.
State police have charged 47-year-old Sonny Abdul-Hardy, of the Bronx, New York, with failure to move over for an emergency vehicle and following a vehicle too closely.
The state trooper was out of the vehicle at the time, assisting another trooper with an incident along I-95, and is OK.
“Fortunately, he was outside his vehicle when the accident happened,” said Sgt Luke Davis, with the Connecticut State Police.
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According to police, the cruiser was stopped in the left lane with lights flashing before the crash. That’s when Abdul-Hardy slammed his car into the back of the cruiser, police said.
“The mentality of 'this is not something that can happen to me' is totally wrong, it can happen to everyone,” said Sgt Davis.
This crashed marked more than 90 crashes so far this year involving state police troopers or their cruisers, including the death of Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier along I-84 East in May.
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This is also the second in just two weeks. Last Tuesday, another state police cruiser was hit in Hartford.
“What has changed? And it’s the men and women getting behind the wheel,” said DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan.
Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesperson Josh Morgan says all state DOT vehicle crash numbers indicate more than 80 crashes this year, translating to roughly two per week, including the death of DOT employee Andrew DiDomenico, who was hit and killed in the median of an on-ramp in Wallingford in June.
“Connecticut motorists, their choices, their actions, their behaviors, can have deadly consequences,” said Morgan.
The state Department of Transportation and state police in partnership have ramped up a speed enforcement campaign going through the summer to increase speed enforcement and roadway visibility by state police and local police departments.
But Morgan, along with state police, say this isn’t an issue they can ticket their way out of. It comes down to the people behind the wheel.
“They are reckless, they are being selfish,” said Morgan.
Sgt Davis reiterates the dangers of the roadway. He hopes drivers take their responsibilities more seriously.
“We have one single mission and that is to go home at the end of the day to our families,” said Sgt Davis.
State Police indicated it is still too early to speak to the effectiveness of the speed enforcement campaign, but they have noticed drivers are noticing the increased visibility of their cruisers.
