Sgt Jon
09-10-2008, 12:36
New Haven officer killed in crash, second injured
Associated Press
September 10, 2008
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - A veteran New Haven police sergeant was killed and a second officer critically injured when their cruisers collided as they responded to a call late Tuesday night, police said.
Sgt. Dario "Scott" Aponte, a 17-year veteran of the department, died of injuries from the crash, Officer Joseph Avery, a New Haven police spokesman, said Wednesday.
Officer Diane Gonzalez, who was in the other cruiser, was critically injured. She was in extremely serious condition Wednesday at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Avery said.
Police say the cruisers were heading to a call about a domestic incident in the city's Fair Haven section when they collided at Chapel and East streets shortly before midnight.
Both cruisers' emergency lights and sirens were on at the time of the crash, the New Haven Register reported. Aponte's cruiser ended up on top of a third vehicle, and Gonzalez's cruiser spun out and went down a hill, the newspaper reported.
Police did not release the name and condition of the driver of the third vehicle.
New Haven police were expected to release more details at a news conference Wednesday morning. State police were called in to investigate the crash.
Aponte, who had two young children, joined the department in November 1991 and was promoted to detective in April 2004. He worked in the crime scene unit until his promotion to sergeant in July, when he switched to the overnight patrol shift.
The department has 260 patrol officers, 231 of whom are assigned to the patrol division.
New Haven has lost several police officers in the past few years, including Officer Dan Picagli in 2006 and Officer Robert Fumiatti in 2007.
Picagli, 38, was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle while directing traffic at a construction site on Oct. 21, 2006.
Fumiatti, 35, died on Jan. 10, 2007, of a heart condition four years after he was shot in the face during a 2002 drug raid. Arnold Bell, who was convicted of assault in the shooting, was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Another veteran New Haven officer, Officer George Smith, died while off duty on Nov. 26, 2006. Smith, 56, had been a member of the department since 1978.
Associated Press
September 10, 2008
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - A veteran New Haven police sergeant was killed and a second officer critically injured when their cruisers collided as they responded to a call late Tuesday night, police said.
Sgt. Dario "Scott" Aponte, a 17-year veteran of the department, died of injuries from the crash, Officer Joseph Avery, a New Haven police spokesman, said Wednesday.
Officer Diane Gonzalez, who was in the other cruiser, was critically injured. She was in extremely serious condition Wednesday at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Avery said.
Police say the cruisers were heading to a call about a domestic incident in the city's Fair Haven section when they collided at Chapel and East streets shortly before midnight.
Both cruisers' emergency lights and sirens were on at the time of the crash, the New Haven Register reported. Aponte's cruiser ended up on top of a third vehicle, and Gonzalez's cruiser spun out and went down a hill, the newspaper reported.
Police did not release the name and condition of the driver of the third vehicle.
New Haven police were expected to release more details at a news conference Wednesday morning. State police were called in to investigate the crash.
Aponte, who had two young children, joined the department in November 1991 and was promoted to detective in April 2004. He worked in the crime scene unit until his promotion to sergeant in July, when he switched to the overnight patrol shift.
The department has 260 patrol officers, 231 of whom are assigned to the patrol division.
New Haven has lost several police officers in the past few years, including Officer Dan Picagli in 2006 and Officer Robert Fumiatti in 2007.
Picagli, 38, was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle while directing traffic at a construction site on Oct. 21, 2006.
Fumiatti, 35, died on Jan. 10, 2007, of a heart condition four years after he was shot in the face during a 2002 drug raid. Arnold Bell, who was convicted of assault in the shooting, was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Another veteran New Haven officer, Officer George Smith, died while off duty on Nov. 26, 2006. Smith, 56, had been a member of the department since 1978.