CT state trooper injured when car hits cruiser on Interstate 84

A Connecticut State Police cruiser was hit by a vehicle on Interstate 84 in Danbury, injuring a trooper just after 10 p.m. Friday, police said.

The cruiser that was struck was parked in the shoulder of I-84 westbound, in between the Exit 8 on and off ramps, in Danbury, while protecting an accident scene and with its emergency lights activated, state police said.

A second vehicle was in the left lane of two on I-84 westbound, also in between the Exit 8 on and off ramps and a third vehicle was in the right lane, also in between the same two ramps, state police said.

Police said the operator of the third vehicle lost control of it, “causing it to strike the guide rail in the median” and then to hit the police cruiser that was in the shoulder. The third vehicle also “jackknifed
and struck” the second vehicle, which was operated by a New Milford man.

The trooper was taken by EMS to Danbury Hospital for minor injuries, police said.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded for a fuel leak from the third vehicle, which was operated by a man from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, state police said

The highway was closed for about three hours; the Department of Transportation helped with the closure, police said

The operator of the third vehicle, Carlos Quintanilla, 31, was issued a ticket for traveling too fast for conditions and failure to maintain lane, police said. The vehicle Quintanilla was operating belongs to Black Eagle Express LLC of Laredo, Texas, state police said in a report.