A Beacon Falls woman was sent to Bridgeport Hospital Wednesday night after a three-car crash Route 8 north, according to state police.
The accident happened about 7:10 p.m. near exit 13 in Shelton.
The woman, Renee Karl, 44, was trapped in her Chevy Trailblazer when Shelton firefighters arrived.
Shelton Fire Department Deputy Chief Tim Hongo said firefighters removed the SUV’s roof and two doors on the driver’s side of the vehicle so EMS personnel could help Karl out of the vehicle.
It took about 30 minutes to free the woman from the vehicle.
“As far as I know there were no life-threatening injuries,” Hongo said. “From what I gathered — but I’m not part of the investigation, that’s state troopers — it appeared the car had rolled multiple times and actually rolled into the light post and knocked it down.”
The crash caused an extensive traffic jam on Route 8 north. Valley Indy readers stuck in traffic posted information on the Indy’s Facebook page Wednesday night.
One person — Nancy Stack Stabler — said that three cars past her traveling at a high rate of speed passed her on Route 8 before the crash.
“I passed by just after it happened. Three cars were racing — two in the right lane and one in the left lane,” she posted on the Valley Indy Facebook wall. “Wondering if they caused the accident. There were at least five or six cars that looked they were involved. One was quite a distance from the truck that took out the light and landed on the guardrail. So scary — especially if it was caused by those racing.”
State police cited a person for reckless driving. More information will be coming soon.
Shelton firefighters were on the scene for about two hours. Officials had to wait for a truck to sand the road because there was anti-freeze all over Route 8 north.
