Stamford Man Killed in I-95 Rollover

WESTPORT -- A Stamford man was killed after being ejected from a van following a three-car crash that closed all three southbound lanes on Interstate 95 for four hours late Thursday night into Friday morning, police and fire officials said.



Westport Fire Department Assistant Chief Larry Conklin said the man, identified Friday by state police as 37-year-old Carlos Flores of Stamford, was declared dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred at about 11:45 p.m., about 100 yards from the Norwalk city line.



With the three lanes closed, state troopers directed cars through the accident scene by routing them through the high-speed breakdown lane, Conklin said



According to a state police accident summary, Flores' van was traveling behind a Subaru Outback when it struck the rear of the Outback, causing the car to veer to the right and strike a metal beam guardrail.



The van then moved to the left but veered right again, striking a Nissan Altima in the center lane, causing it to spin around and end up on the median, state police said.



The 2001 Chevrolet van driven by Flores then went off the highway on the right, striking the metal guardrail and a light pole. The impact caused the van to roll over more than once, ending up on the driver's side, state police said.



Both Flores and his passenger were ejected from the van onto the roadway, and Flores was pronounced dead at the scene. The state police report indicates the men in the van were not wearing seat belts and their airbags did not deploy.



Flores' passenger, a 44-year-old Stamford man, was brought to Norwalk Hospital with non life-threatening injuries, officials said.



A Greenwich woman driving the Subaru complained of minor injuries and was transported to Norwalk Hospital as a precaution, state police said. The Westport man in the Nissan was not injured. Both of those drivers were alone in their cars.



The cause of the crash is still under investigation and no charges have been filed, state police said.

 

Fatal Bronx Bus Crash Apparently Due to Fatigue

NY Post- The passengers didn’t have a chance.


Federal investigators yesterday released a dramatic video reconstruction of the early-morning New England Thruway bus crash that killed 15 and injured 18 — showing the path of the doomed World Wide Tours coach in its final seconds.




In the computer simulation of the March 2011 disaster, the bus careens off the travel lanes and across the 10-foot-wide shoulder.



Then the right side of the 26-ton bus — on its way to Chinatown from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut — flips onto the guardrail, and skids along the barrier for several seconds before crushing it.


The coach then flips fully onto its right side and blasts into a stanchion holding up a roadway sign, which slices through the bus roof like a hot knife through butter.



As the bus initially veered off the road, fatigued driver Ophadell Williams — who might have had as little as three hours’ sleep in the previous three days — never slammed on the brakes or made any effort to steer out of harm’s way, the National Transportation Safety Board said.



Seat belts would have saved lives and prevented injuries in the crash, the NTSB concluded, but the passenger seats had none.



The NTSB also faulted the location of the signpost just 15 feet from the travel lanes of the Thruway.



If the roadway had been properly designed, the signpost either would have been at least 30 feet away or protected by a far stronger barrier, the NTSB said.

Still, most of the blame for the crash rested with Williams’ failure to get enough sleep and with his driving the bus too fast.



Just 60 seconds before the disaster, Williams was driving at 78 mph in a 50-mph zone, the feds found.



And in the 10 seconds before the crash, the bus was moving at 64 mph.



“Together, fatigue and speed are an especially lethal combination,” said NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman, adding that driver sleepiness has been a factor in seven of the last 19 motor-coach accidents investigated by the board.



Along with the computer simulation, the NTSB also released video graphics showing how seat belts would have prevented injuries.



One simulation shows unbelted passengers tumbling into each other — bodies were contorted between the seats and luggage racks — as the bus turned onto its side.



A second shows how the passengers would have been held in their seats by lap and shoulder belts.



On the World Wide Tours crash bus, only the driver’s seat had a belt.



Seat belts would be mandatory in all new motor coaches under a rule now being considered by the US Department of Transportation.



Bus-industry lobbyists are on board with the idea — and they note that even though it’ll be years before the new rule takes effect, seat belts are already standard on new motor coaches.



“It’s almost impossible to buy a large bus without seat belts,” said Victor Parra of the American Motorcoach Association. “Most companies are being proactive.”



NTSB investigators also cited a litany of other issues.



World Wide Tours was responsible for “inadequate safety oversight” of Williams and did a poor job of checking his background, which includes a manslaughter conviction in a fatal stabbing and a horrendous driving record that includes 18 license suspensions.



Williams had applied for driver’s licenses under fake names and had lied on job applications for casino clerk and MTA bus driver.



And just three days before the deadly Bronx crash, Williams was involved in a minor bus crash on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.



Williams was recently indicted by a Bronx grand jury on 15 counts of manslaughter.



“Drivers with poor driving records are more likely to be involved in a future accident,” NTSB investigators noted.



Board members were astonished that World Wide Tours was denied a Defense Department contract to transport troops but was still allowed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to carry paying passengers.



“Something seems to be badly broken” if one government agency deemed the company unsafe, while another did not, said NTSB member Robert Sumwalt.



And, amazingly, although World Wide Tours is formally out of business, the NTSB says the company’s employees and buses are up and running under the business name Great Escapes, which operates out of the same garage that WWT used in Brooklyn’s Gowanus section.


A Great Escapes employee hung up the phone on a reporter yesterday.

Woman Dies When Tractor-Trailer Wheels Hit Car; Police Search for Witness

PORT CHESTER — A 62-year-old woman died on Interstate 95 Tuesday afternoon after two rear wheels of a tractor-trailer flew off and crashed into her car, police said.

Adele Mancuso of Toms River, N.J., and formerly of Larchmont, was driving to her sister's Connecticut home to dog sit about 2:45 p.m., when the trailer's wheels came loose as it exited I-95 onto Interstate 287 at Exit 21. Police said the wheels traveled across three southbound lanes, striking Mancuso's car in the far left northbound lane.

"The tractor-trailer lost the whole rear axle with two wheels attached," state police Investigator Joseph Beccera said. "The entire axle compartment went airborne about 100 yards and crashed into the windshield and roof of the northbound vehicle."

Mancuso, formerly of 1299 Palmer Ave., Larchmont, had recently moved to Toms River to live with her boyfriend. She was killed instantly, Beccera said, noting the axle and wheels that struck her weighed well over 200 pounds and likely caused lethal injuries to her head and neck.

Police said Mancuso's mother, an 84-year-old Constance Casalina of Larchmont, was a passenger in the car and sustained what Beccera described as "miraculously" minor injuries. She was taken to Stamford Hospital, where she was treated for cuts to her arm.

After the crash Tuesday afternoon, the car involved, a Chevrolet Cavalier, was partially covered with a yellow tarpaulin. The roof was almost entirely collapsed and the windshield crushed.

Police said the driver of the tractor-trailer did not stop, but that investigators, using a license plate provided by someone at the scene, were able to locate him Tuesday evening in New Jersey.

Police had not charged the tractor-trailer driver with any wrongdoing in the crash by press time, but were questioning him, Beccera said.

His name was not released.

Police are asking for the public's help in locating a Hispanic male witness who might have stopped the tractor trailer on I-287 and informed the driver of his missing wheels.

Police said the tractor trailer drove off after speaking with the Hispanic driver.

All three northbound lanes were closed for about an hour and a half. The right lane was reopened for travel shortly after 4:30 p.m., but hours later, traffic remained at a near-standstill and was backed up far to the south.

The damaged car was sitting atop a flatbed tow truck at 6:15 p.m. as investigators continued their work. A crowd watched from a nearby overpass.

Patricia Carriere, 41, of Port Chester walked from her home to view the scene from the Grace Church Street overpass.

"Since I live right here, I just came to see," she said. "I just feel bad for the person that died."

Carriere said her husband uses I-95 often as a truck driver and that she has ridden along in his 18-wheeler. In her opinion, it was possible the driver of the tractor-trailer never realized a pair of wheels came off.

"If it was two middle ones," she said, "I don't even think you could notice."

Jose Lopez, an employee with Hannigan's Towing in Port Chester, said he towed Mancuso's Cavalier to the state police barracks in Tarrytown about 7:20 p.m.

Lopez said that during his 15-year career as a tow truck driver, he had seen numerous incidents similar to Tuesday's crash.

"That's why I've got to wake up and kiss my wife every day before I leave for work," he said. "You never know what's going to happen out there."

Shortly before 9 p.m., police reported all northbound lanes on I-95 had been reopened.
If you have information about the crash or the witness police are searching for, please contact the State Police at 914-524-0223 or 914-524-0229.

HIATUS

I've taken quite a hiatus haven't I? I Don't thik there's anyone out there anyway who takes interest in my blog.. But I don't care... This is *my* vault of memories...

I think this has been quite the summer for local shocking news... Especially in the Stamford and Greenwich areas.

I'm going to sit back and reminisce, try to catch up on any noteworthy news..

Earliest local news that comes to mind was a few months back when a 2 year old, Massimo Furano and his grandmother, Anna S. Furano, were found drowned in their koi pond over on Fox's Lane in Greenwich...Very tragic.

Joe Schiano, who was slightly younger than me and had mutual friends in common with me, passed away after serving two terms in the Marines.. Unfortunatley he died in a car accident in New York after returning from duties.

I believe a few days after that I learned of a car with two women driving on I-95 in Cos Cob over the Mianus Bridge... A bolt fell off of a dump truck in front of their car, and it flew threw the window into the passenger's head, killing her. Can you imagine?

As the summer goes on all you hear about, sadly, is all the murders in Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk... Then, more noticible news again out of Stamford- on Bedford Street behind the diner (very close to an apartment I work sometimes) was found a 39 year old man hanging from a tree in the back part of the parking lot.

Close in time to that was another suicide of a 2o year old Stamford junior volunter firefighter, his body found in a Belltown grass field.

Jasmine Brown, an inspiring fashion designer from NY was high on PCP, climbed a tree naked and fell out of it, killing herself. Imagine that horrible scene..

In a bit of national news- as we all know, over the weekend a helicopter full of Navy Seals (3o) was shot down. One of them, Brian Bill, was from Stamford. Thank you for paying the ultimate price while fighting for our country....

A 92 year old man, trying to park in a handicapped spot, accidently floored his Honda, plowing threw a pole and proceeding to crash 20 feet into Cafe Oo La La on Summer Street (Ridgeway Shopping Center), sending people flying all over the place. Miracously no one was killed, but a baby and a pregnant woman were injured in all the mess. Thus sparks the debate again on modifying driving conditions for elderly drivers. Is it really all that hard for the DMV to put in place a system where the eldery driver would have a simulated road test say at the person's physician's office or even at the DMV itself? God forbid we spent any on insuring people can stay safe on the roads and keep clear of crazy old grandpa who's too proud and dementiated to take himself off the road. They are actually charging him ... Not sure for what but good for them! His family shouldn't have let him drive.

The next day, which I believe was Tuesday, I heard of a poor woman on route in Wilton who must've not even seen it coming when a dump truck hit her Ford Taurus, killing her and injuring three others (including a six year old) in the car. The car pulled out from a church, right into the path of the dump truck that couldn't stop in time. The driver of that car was 91, and was the victim's father. Her grandaughter was next to her, and probably saw her die.

Why did these people have the grandfather drive??? He could've killed his six year old grandaughter as well...Bad enough now he has to live knowing he killed his daughter. Sad and tragic, shouldn't have happened.

This morning I read that a car hit into a construction site, killing the driver, a 23 year old Greenwich resident, Michael Defruscio. Two years younger than I am, but I do not recognize the name..

It's sad but true that most news we hear of is depressing and negative, but if it wasn't something so shocking it wouldn't be newsworthy. There is some news lately that's been amusing and some news that actually is postive.

A month or two ago a mountain lion was spotted in Greenwich, and then a few days later found dead in Milford on the turnpike. It was found out that the mounatin lion had actually migrated from North Dakota, something that was unheard of for mountain lions until now! Apparently there were two new sightings this past Sunday... So are there more or what??

Here's a picture of my Uncle Mike, middle, on duty and it looks like he's with a search for the lion. (lol)

Remember Charla Nash, the poor woman who had her face pretty much torn off by that ape in backcountry Stamford? She succesfully completed a 20 hour facial transplant a few days ago, and unveiled her new face for all to see in both national and local articles. Good for you, Charla!

Driver in Fatal Crash Suffered Heart Attack

News 12- Police are unsure if Kevin Cronin had the attack before or after the crash.
His car crashed off of I-95 in Greenwich Sunday night.
-Video-

I-95 Truck Fire Sparks Traffic Chaos in Greenwich

Yeah, this happened at 11:30 am yet at 6:00 pm it took forever getting home and that was the backroads!

Greenwich Time- A mid-morning, tractor-trailer fire on Interstate 95 North between exits 4 and 5 jammed up traffic throughout the region Friday as firefighters worked to break down pieces of burnt cardboard in the truck in order to extinguish the flames.

The 18-wheeler caught fire around 11:20 a.m. and the driver was able to safely pull to the side of the road, officials said. The driver was not injured during the incident.

The fire forced officials to close the northbound right and center lanes of I-95, as well as part of the left lane. The lanes remained closed until the fire department cleared the scene at 4:45 p.m.

Deputy Fire Chief Keith Millette said it appeared the fire had been burning for some time before it was detected.

"It obviously had been burning in the truck for a quite a while before the driver noticed it," Millette said. "Almost every bundle in the truck had some damage to it, but none of them were completely burned."

Putting out the fire took nearly five hours because firefighters had to remove the smoldering cardboard in the back of the truck piece-by-piece by cutting holes in the truck's side.

"Because of the compacted cardboard, we needed to have the truck unloaded before we finished putting it out," Milletten said. "We were taking it, busting up the bundles and putting the fire out, then loading it out."

While the highway was closed, traffic was diverted through the breakdown lane, causing congestion back to exit 3. There was also congestion on the southbound side of the highway, from exits 10 to 4.

Greenwich police said town roads were extremely congested due to the highway closures Friday afternoon into the evening.

"Everyone is trying to backtrack to get to the Merritt Parkway, so traffic is much heavier than normal," Sgt. Dave Nemecek said just before the highway was re-opened Friday evening. Police throughout town were forced to respond to routine calls using lights and sirens to cut through the jammed roadways.

Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Witness: Motorists Heroically Pulled 2 From Burning Car

FAIRFIELD - A woman who witnessed a devastating car fire on I-95 in Fairfield over the weekend says she was overwhelmed by the incredible acts of heroism she saw as fellow motorists freed two people trapped by smoke and flames.

Gloria Raymond says about 20 people braved the fire as they tried to get to the couple trapped inside the car.

Raymond says a group of men grabbed the 63-year-old driver who told them his wife was still in the vehicle. She says one of the men then went to the car and pulled her out through the back passenger-side door.

The victim’s wife, 67-year-old Mary Hughes, later died from her injuries.

Milford Woman Killed in Old Lyme Crash

(11/29/10) MILFORD - A Milford woman is dead following a crash in Old Lyme early this morning.

Police say Kerri Perry, 25, was killed when she lost control on I-95 around exit 71.

Police say her car hit several trees. A passenger, a 32-year old Milford man, was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Police say Perry was not wearing her seat belt.

Records Released in Fatal I-95 Crash

DARIEN - Newly released court records show the woman accused in a fatal I-95 crash in Darien last month failed a field sobriety test.

The records show Candice Blanks, 39, of Stamford, failed the field test after she struck and killed two men changing a flat tire. The eight-page search warrant shows that police attempted to give her a Breathalyzer test, but didn't have a working Breathalyzer.

Troopers say when she was brought to the state police barracks, Blanks smelled of alcohol and was experiencing mood swings. They say she even asked to call her dog at home.

Friends of the two victims, Lucas Silva and Felipe Chagas, as well as an attorney for one of the families, did not want to comment on the report.

Suspected Carjackers Appear in Court

This is of particular interest to me because my mother and I heard it all go down as it happened on the online police scanner. It's public information to hear, and *almost* better than watching Cops!

They were said to have a large number of weapons in the car that they ditched, and they all spread out and gave the cops a good run for their money locating them. One fell into a pond and got sucked in by the mud- making him helpless!

I'd like to see how the trial goes, especially this one below who seems to have Zach Galifianakis representing him!

(11/01/10) BRIDGEPORT - Three people accused in a Bridgeport carjacking appeared in court today.

Police say Nicole Bowen, 27, of Bridgeport, Tye Thomas, 20, of the Bronx, and Dashawn Perry, 18, of Yonkers, forced someone to drive them to New York. As the car neared the state line, police say the victim tried to get out of the car and crashed the vehicle.

Investigators say the suspects jumped out of the car and ran, but were later caught by Greenwich police.

-See News Video here-

Woman Accused in Fatal Darien Hit-and-Run Faces Judge

(11/01/10) STAMFORD - The woman accused in a hit-and-run crash that killed two men last month went before a judge this morning.

Police say Candice Blanks was drunk when she struck and killed Lucas Silva and Felipe Chagas before fleeing the scene.

Blanks has been charged with driving while intoxicated and evading responsibility.

An attorney for Blanks said yesterday that his client was not drunk and that Blanks pulled over on her own, after her airbags deployed in the collision.

State police have not released Blanks' blood-alcohol level and say it's quite possible she refused to be tested that night.

-See video at court-

-Crazy details on accident here-

(One girl that was accompanying the victims fainted at the scene...)

Wake Held for Fatal Crash Victim

(11/01/10) BRIDGEPORT - Friends and family gathered today to attend the wake for the Easton woman killed in a crash in Stamford Friday.

Jessica Martucci, 20, died when the car she was riding in flipped on I-95.

The wake was held at the Parente-Lauro Funeral Home in Bridgeport.

Her funeral will be held tomorrow morning at St. Jude Church in Monroe.

VIDEO: Fatal crash on I-95 in Stamford

Stamford Woman Charged With Vehicular Manslaughter After I-95 Hit and Run Accident Leaves 2 Dead

Daily Stamford- A 39-year-old Stamford woman is facing vehicular manslaughter charges in the deaths of two men struck and killed Saturday as they changed a tire on I-95 in Darien.

Candice Blanks was also charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. Lucas Silva, 22, of Stamford and Felipe Chagas, 19, of Bethel were standing on the shoulder near Exit 11 southbound at around 2:30 a.m. when they were struck by Blanks' vehicle.

Blanks then hit another car parked on the right shoulder of the highway, according to police reports. She fled the scene, even after her airbags deployed, but was apprehended shortly thereafter by Darien police.

Chagas and Silva were pronounced dead at the scene. Blanks was being held on a $250,000 bond.

----------

DARIEN — Two young men were killed as they changed a tire on a disabled car along I-95 southbound near Exit 11.

The man were killed about 2:30 Saturday morning, and the woman who hit them was charged with drunken driving.

Felipe Chagas, 19, of Bethel and Lucas Silva, 22, of Stamford, were standing on the shoulder of the highway and changing the left rear tire of a Chevrolet Cavalier when the crash happened. A short distance ahead, several friends in a Volkswagen Passat had pulled off the highway to help.

Candice Blanks' was driving past when her Lincoln Aviator apparently veered into the shoulder and hit the two men, police said. The impact hurled Chagas against the Passat, and Blanks' SUV dragged Silva about 170 feet, state troopers said.

Blanks kept driving even though her car's airbag deployed, but she was caught a little farther south on the highway, according to police. Blanks, 29, of Stamford, was charged with drunken driving, two counts of vehicular manslaughter, evading responsibility and failing to stay in her lane. She was held in lieu of a $250,000 bond pending arraignment Monday.

Police called ambulances for a passenger in the Passat who suffered a minor injury and a 19-year-old passenger in the Cavalier who fainted. Troopers ask that any witnesses contact Troop G at 203-696-2500.

Fatal crash on I-95 in Stamford

This video on News Channel 12 Connecticut shows the whole response, including the officer looking in the mangled mess for a victim...

Spooky, reminds me of their coverage of the fatal Darien crash that occurred right behind my boyfriend's house at the time..

STAMFORD -- A 20-year-old Easton woman was killed when the car in which she was a passenger struck two trees and a light pole off the right shoulder of Interstate-95 in Stamford early Friday morning.

The driver, Anthony Whittingham of Norwalk, allegedly fled on foot from the accident scene, which occurred at 2:09 a.m. Friday near the southbound Exit 9 of I-95, the Connecticut State Police said in an accident report. He was caught a short distance from the crash site.

Jessica Martucci of Silver Hill Road, Easton, died as a result of injuries suffered in the single car accident.

A second passenger, Jahmar Whittingham, of Bridgeport, was injured and taken to Stamford Hospital.

Authorities said Anthony Whittingham was driving a 2007 Volkswagon Jetta southbound at a high-rate of speed on the right-hand lane when he tried changing lanes. Instead the car veered off the right side of the highway and struck two trees and a light pole, causing the car to roll over onto its roof before coming to a rest in the center and left lanes of the highway.

Martucci sat in the front passenger seat and wore a seat-belt during the accident.

Criminal charges are pending and the accident remains under investigation by the state police.

Staff Writer Jeff Morganteen can be reached at jeff.morganteen@scni.com or (203) 964-2215.

----------------------

Woman killed in car crash, vehicle driven by Norwalk man

The Norwalk Hour- A Norwalk man was the driver in a single-car crash that killed an Easton woman early Friday morning on the Stamford stretch of I-95 north, police said.

A car driven by 27-year-old Anthony Whittingham of 16 School St., Apt. 11, veered off the highway near exit 9 at 2:09 a.m., and flipped onto its roof, police said. The impact of the crash killed Jessica Martucci, 20, of 76 Silver Hill Road, Easton, who was riding in the front passanger seat of the vehicle, according to police.

Whittingham fled on foot after crashing the vehicle, but State Police located him a short distance from the accident scene, police said.

Whittingham is not yet facing any criminal charges, but State Police said they will file charges once the investigation is completed.

Court records show that Whittingham was placed on probation in 2003 for a driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and he has been convicted of operating a motor vehicle under suspension numerous times since the DUI arrest.

--------------------

Drunk driving likely behind fatal crash
(10/29/10) STAMFORD - State police say drunk driving was likely to blame for a crash that killed an Easton woman in Stamford early this morning.

It happened before 3 a.m. between exits 8 and 9 on the northbound side.

Police say Jessica Martucci, 20, of Easton, died at the scene. Another passenger, Jamar Whittingham, 29, of Bridgeport, ended up in serious condition at Stamford Hospital.

Police arrested Anthony Whittingham, 27, of Norwalk who was not hurt. Police say he initially fled the scene before being caught.

Yeah, of course it's always the driver that's not hurt, just everyone else f*cked up or dead...

Connecticut Be Buggin' Today!

BRANFORD, Conn. — Police and FBI agents Friday night said a tractor-trailer stopped in Branford, Conn., and suspected of carrying explosives was empty, NBC station WVIT of Hartford reported.

Branford first selectman Anthony DaRos earlier said police told him authorities were holding the semitrailer at a travel stop on Interstate 95.

The Hartford Courant reported troopers approached the vehicle and took the driver and a passenger into custody at gunpoint, then checked the vehicle for hazards. It also reported that the state police bomb squad was en route.

Police were told to be on the lookout for a brown Peterbilt tractor-trailer that may have a bomb in it that was en route from Rhode Island to New York City, the New Haven Register reported. Officers were told if they encountered it to stop it and create a perimeter and stand by.

Branford is about 80 miles north of New York City.

In another incident, around 6:21 p.m. Friday, a Connecticut state trooper shot and killed a motorist after what police said was a routine traffic stop on I-84 near Danbury, the Courant reported. Danbury is about 45 miles away from Branford.

The driver opened fire on the officer, who returned fire and shot the motorist multiple times. The trooper was uninjured, the Courant said.

The two passengers fled.

The highway was closed in both directions Friday night.

On Wednesday, two men were found in a Mercedes with what appeared to be a pipe bomb, ammunition, gas masks and other materials. Authorities say it's unclear whether they planned to use the explosives because they are not talking to investigators. Both were being held on $500,000 bond.

Bridgeport Woman Killed in I-95 Car Crash

BRIDGEPORT - A former Bridgeport high school student is dead after she crashed her car in Norwalk yesterday.

Officials say it happened around noon when Liset Santos, 19, was trying to merge onto the southbound side of the highway between exits 14 and 15.

Police say Santos lost control of her car and collided with an SUV, then a tractor-trailer.

Santos graduated from Kolbe Cathedral High School in 2008 and teachers say she was known for her heart of gold. She was a junior at Monroe College in New Rochelle.