Connecticut State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection

Connecticut State Police Patch STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Department of Public Safety
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, Connecticut 06457		  
Contact: 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2008
     STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE
 FATAL THREE-CAR MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
 INVOLVING TWO NEW HAVEN POLICE CRUISERS

   On Tuesday night, 09-09-08, at approximately 11:23 p.m., New Haven Police were dispatched to a domestic violence call in the city of New Haven. As New Haven Police officers were responding to the call, two police cruisers collided at the intersection of East St. & Chapel Street in New Haven. 

   Preliminary investigation shows that one New Haven Police vehicle was being operated by Officer Diane Gonzalez, age 47, and the other New Haven Police vehicle was operated by Sgt. Dario Aponte, age 43. Both police vehicles entered the intersection (East and Chapel streets) where the collision occurred.  As a result of that initial collision, a third vehicle, being operated by Vernon Montgomery, age 51, of 48 Exchange Street, New Haven, which was reported to have come to a stop to allow the emergency vehicles to pass, was struck by one of the police cruisers.

   New Haven Police Sgt. Dario Aponte was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital Emergency room where was pronounced deceased.

   New Have Police Officer Diane Gonzalez was extricated from the cruiser and transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital and is reported to be in very serious condition.

   New Haven Police Chief James M. Lewis requested the Connecticut State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Squad (C.A.R.S. Unit) to conduct the investigation into this accident.

   This accident remains under investigation by the Connecticut State Police.

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LT. J. Paul Vance