UPDATE: State police have released the report from an accident Monday morning that left an 18-year-old high school student in critical condition.
According to the report, Anthony E. Inzitari, 18, of Old Country Road, Oxford, was driving a 2002 Volkswagon Golf south on Route 188 near Carriage Drive when he rear-ended a Town of Oxford backhoe being driven by Kevin F. Miles, 46, of Oxford.
Inzitari’s vehicle spun into the northbound lane, where it was struck by a 1999 Ford F-250 being driven by Chad Lapointe, 36, of Seymour.
The impact flipped Inzitari’s vehicle over onto its roof.
It is not known whether Inzitari was wearing a seat belt.
Inzitari sustained serious injuries and was taken to Saint Raphael’s Hospital in New Haven.
Sgt. Dan Semosky said it doesn’t appear speed played a factor in the crash — but the investigation continues.
“We’re not ruling anything out,” said Semosky, the resident state trooper.
Lapointe was treated for his injuries at Bridgeport Hospital.
Miles was not injured.
Original story from Monday morning follows: A serious crash on Route 188 in Oxford sent two people to the hospital Monday morning.
The crash happened at about 7:40 a.m. and may have involved an Oxford High School student, according to people at the scene.
State police were still at the scene as of 10 a.m. trying to piece together what happened. The road was closed in both directions and could remain that way for a few more hours. (Note: Road opened again late Monday afternoon)
Initial reports said three vehicles were involved — a construction backhoe, a blue passenger vehicle and a pick-up truck towing a box trailer.
The blue car was was unrecognizable after hitting the pick-up truck.
Parts of the car were scattered for some 40 feet along the road.
Oxford firefighters used the jaws of life to cut the blue vehicle’s driver out. He was unresponsive when rescued from the car. It took firefighters about four minutes to cut him out.
That driver and the driver of the truck are in the hospital.
The backhoe’s driver was not injured.
WTNH reported that the teen driver was traveling south on Route 188 when he rear-ended a backhoe, spun out into the northbound lane and was struck by a Ford pick-up truck.
The crash happened on Route 188 near the intersection with Carriage Drive. Click here for a map.
This story will be updated when more details become available.
This morning’s crash comes on the heels of a crash Sunday night that shut down Route 34 in Oxford for several hours. In that incident, someone rammed a utility pole. There were no injuries, but holiday motorists trying to get over the Stevenson Dam back to the Valley faced a long detour through Monroe.
