Five-Car Crash In Milford Sends 11 To Hospitals

Hartford Courant

July 06, 2008

A five-car crash on I-95 early Saturday sent 11 people to area hospitals with serious to minor injuries.

A Volkswagen Jetta that lost control at the northbound Exit 38 on-ramp was hit by three cars driving north on the highway, and one of the passengers in the Jetta was hit by a fourth car trying to avoid the accident, state police said.

Lisa Sanchez, 30, of Shelton, was driving the Jetta, which lost control on wet pavement at 12:04 a.m. Saturday.

According to the accident report, the Jetta skidded into the center lane of the three-lane highway, and spun around to face oncoming traffic. Sanchez and her two passengers, Norma Sanchez, 33, of Ansonia, and Antonio Dossantos, 21, of Bridgeport, were trying to exit the car when a Nissan Altima, driven by Paul Violano II of Branford, hit the Jetta head on.

State police said the three occupants of the Jetta were thrown to the ground from the impact, and the Jetta spun out toward the middle median, hit a jersey barrier and landed in the left travel lane. A Nissan Maxima then struck the Jetta on its right side as driver David Pacheco Jr. of Stratford tried to avoid the crash, state police said. An Acura driven by John Sykes of West Haven then hit the Jetta head on, sending the car back into the middle lane.

Police said a second Volkswagen Jetta driven by Jeanette Cal of Stratford hit Dossantos, who was out of the car, as Cal tried to avoid hitting the other Jetta.

Lisa Sanchez was taken to St. Raphael's Hospital with serious injuries, and Norma Sanchez and Dossantos were transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital with serious injuries, according to state police.

Eight other people who were in the cars were transported to Milford Hospital and Yale for treatment of minor injuries or evaluation.

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