Police reports | May 30 – June 6, 2024

Collision in high school

According to the Newtown Police report, 17-year-old Keira Kennedy of Newtown was leaving Newtown High School at 2:36 p.m. on May 30. She was driving behind a 2019 Chevrolet Trax driven by 81-year-old Kathie Kyle of Sandy Hook, who was stopped in traffic. The front of Kennedy’s vehicle collided with the rear of Kyle’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. None of the vehicles were towed.

No action was taken as the incident occurred on private property.

Pushed onto the lawn by car

Newtown Police Report: Julianna DeGeorge, 26 (residence not mentioned in report), was driving south on South Main Street at 3:26 p.m. on May 30. Jose Ramirez, 64, of Danbury, driving a 2006 Honda CR-V, was driving north on South Main Street. DeGeorge’s vehicle struck the driver’s side of Ramirez’s vehicle, causing Ramirez to be thrown into the lawn of a residential property.

Both drivers were taken to Danbury Hospital for suspected minor injuries. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.

DeGeorge received a verbal warning for making an improper turn.

Car damaged

Newtown Police report that sometime during the night of May 30-31, an unknown individual punctured and scratched a tire of a vehicle parked in front of the apartments at 9 Covered Bridge Road.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Newtown Police at 203-426-5841 and reference case 2400008003 or leave a message with Officer McCarthy.

Semi-trailer rams pickup truck

Newtown Police report that at 6:54 a.m. on May 31, Giovanni Ortiz, 20, of Hamden, driving a 2012 Mack 600 semi-trailer, turned left onto Church Hill Road from Commerce Road. Emil Roland, 49, of Newtown, driving a 2002 Ford F350, was traveling north on Commerce Road and had stopped to give way to the semi-trailer. The left rear tire of the trailer struck the left front of Roland’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. Roland’s vehicle was towed.

Ortiz received a verbal warning for making a wrong turn.

Hit by a deer on South Main

Newtown Police report: Emily DeMarco, 33, of Newtown, operating a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was traveling north on South Main Street at 3:07 p.m. on May 31. A deer wandered into the roadway from the east side of the road and was struck by DeMarco’s vehicle.

Demarco was uninjured. The vehicle was not towed.

No enforcement action has been taken.

Body damage in parking lot

According to the Newtown Police report, on June 1 at 4:03 p.m., 16-year-old Katherine Bottone of Sandy Hook, driving a 2012 Honda CR-V, attempted to park in a parking space on the property of 228 South Main Street. Elaine Russell, 61, of Sandy Hook, driving a 2018 Nissan Sentra, was parked in an adjacent parking space. The front right portion of Bottone’s bumper struck the left rear quarter panel of Russell’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. None of the vehicles were towed.

No action was taken as the incident occurred on private property.

Ran through red light

Newtown Police report: Addison Della, 16, of Newtown, was driving a 2012 Toyota Rav4 southbound on Main Street at 5:28 p.m. on June 1. Stacey Lokey, 54, of Newtown, was driving a 2024 Mercedes-Benz northbound on South Main Street in the left turn lane and stopped at a red light at the Sugar Street intersection. Della stopped at the same intersection in the right turn lane and after stopping at the red light, turned onto Sugar Street and struck Lokey’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. None of the vehicles were towed.

Della received a verbal warning for disobeying a traffic signal. She was fined for violating passenger restrictions for 16- and 17-year-old drivers.

Hit tree

According to the Newtown Police Department report, Calisto Yepez, 61, of Danbury, driving a 2017 Subaru WRX, was traveling south on Hattertown Road at 7:23 p.m. on June 1. Yepez’s vehicle left the road and struck a tree.

Yepez was taken to Danbury Hospital for what was believed to be a minor injury. The vehicle was towed.

Yepez was given an administrative offence for failure to maintain lane.

Over the speed limit

According to the Newtown Police report, Christopher Portolese, 32, of Sandy Hook, was driving a 2015 Subaru Crosstrek eastbound on Church Hill Road at 8:31 p.m. on June 2. A witness told police he saw Portolese’s vehicle pass Gino’s, 102 Church Hill Road, “at over 65 miles per hour.” The vehicle continued on Riverside Road at an excessive rate of speed, and Portolese lost control of the vehicle due to a dip in the roadway and the grade of the road. The vehicle struck the stone curb on the right side of the road with its right front tire and traveled along the curb for approximately 100 feet before crossing the center line, traveling down an embankment and coming to a stop at a large bush and fence in the front yard of a property on Riverside Road.

Portolese was taken to Danbury Hospital for what was believed to be a minor injury. A passenger refused medical attention. The vehicle was towed.

Enforcement is still pending.

Impact against stone wall and mast

Newtown Police report: Savannah Davidow, 24, of Newtown, was driving a 2012 Subaru Forester westbound on Nunnawauk Road at 12:46 a.m. on June 4. Davidow’s vehicle left the road and struck a stone wall and a utility pole.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed.

This incident was in addition to the charges filed against Davidov in the June 7 police report.

Tiguan meets Tiguan

According to the Newtown Police report, Gjin Abazi, 19, of Sandy Hook, driving a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, was traveling on Washington Avenue at 2:10 p.m. on June 4. He was driving behind a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan driven by Richard Oppel, 45, of Sandy Hook. Oppel stopped for a traffic accident and Abazi struck his vehicle.

No injuries were reported. None of the vehicles were towed.

Abazi received a verbal warning for driving too close.

Hit a deer on Berkshire Road

According to the Newtown Police Department report, Joyce Patria, 55, of Ansonia, driving a 2010 Honda Accord, was traveling eastbound on Berkshire Road at 8:57 p.m. on June 5. A deer ran in front of Patria’s vehicle and was struck.

Patria was not injured. The vehicle was not towed.

No enforcement action has been taken.

Pass on the right

According to the Newtown Police report, Kevin Barrett, 62, of Sandy Hook, was driving a 2013 Toyota Tacoma westbound on Mile Hill Road at 4:21 p.m. on June 6. Caswell Simpson, 63, of Bethel, was driving a 2001 Honda Civic eastbound and attempted to make a left turn into a driveway. Barrett’s vehicle struck Simpson’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. None of the vehicles were towed.

Barrett received a verbal warning for overtaking on the right.

Inappropriate distance

Newtown Police report: Antonio Rodriguez, 22, of New Milford, was driving a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe and was traveling south on Hawleyville Road at 5:31 p.m. on June 6. He was driving behind a 2020 Nissan Altima driven by Heather Ahrstrom, 47, of Danbury. Ahrstrom stopped in the southbound lane waiting to make a left turn onto the Interstate 84 Exit 9. Rodriguez was unable to stop in time and struck Ahrstrom’s vehicle.

No injuries were reported. None of the vehicles were towed.

Rodriguez was given a misdemeanor for maintaining an inappropriate distance between the two.

Overturned bench

Newtown Police report that officers responded to a report of a stone bench falling over at Ram’s Pasture at 6:14 p.m. on June 6.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Newtown Police at 203-426-5841.