A four-car crash occurred Wednesday at the corner of Route 67 and Governor’s Hill Road — the same spot where a car crash killed a 23-year-old Beacon Falls man last October.
“It was a little scary. One person was sent to Danbury Hospital and one went to St. Raphael’s,” said Sgt. Daniel Semosky, Oxford’s resident state trooper. The crash happened next to the trooper barracks.
The Crash
According to police reports, a 1995 Chevrolet pick-up truck being driven by Laurel McStravick, of 131 Quaker Farms Road, struck the rear end of a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer operated by Ann Donato, of 26 Highland Road at about 5:15 p.m.
Both were northbound on Route 67, approaching the Governor’s Hill Road intersection. Donato had been stopped in traffic to turn left onto Governor’s Hill Road.
Donato’s car was forced into the southbound lane of Route 67, striking the front end of a 2005 Chevrolet Caprice Classic operated by Ian T. Pharo of 99 Hollow Swamp Road, Southbury.
A fourth vehicle, a 2007 Acura RL operated by Mark Desautels of 16 Greenwood Circle, Seymour, steered to avoid the collision and was sideswiped on the driver’s side by Donato’s vehicle.
All the vehicles sustained heavy damage except for the fourth vehicle, which received minor side rear quarter panel damage and was able to be driven from the scene. The others had to be towed to the nearby Quality Auto Body yard.
Donato went to St. Raphael’s with chest and neck pain. She was wearing a seat belt. Pharo went to Danbury Hospital with chest and neck pain.
McStravick and Desautels were not injured.
An investigation showed a contributing factor was that McStravick failed to drive a safe distance from the vehicle in front of her. She was issued an infraction for failure to drive a safe distance.
Previous Crash
The intersection was the scene of a crash last Oct. 6 in which Matthew Mihalcik of Beacon Falls was killed.
Afer that crash, the state Department of Transportation performed a traffic study at the intersection, at the request of First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers.
The DOT said there were six accidents between 2006 and 2008 — not enough to install a traffic light.
As a result of the study, though, the state said warning signs on the eastbound and westbound approaches to the intersection will be upgraded, likely in the spring, a state official told the Valley Indy.
“As the town grows, there will be more accidents. People need to learn to slow down.” Fire Chief Scott Pelletier.
The speed limit is 35 mph.
The DOT data provided to the town shows that 85 percent of the traffic on Route 67 in the area in question is traveling between 43 and 47 mph.
Click the hyperlink below to read the letter from the DOT to Drayton-Rogers regarding whether a traffic light is needed at the intersection.
