Highway Collision Sends Seven To Hospital

By Chuck Potter    Published on 12/28/2007

New London — Seven people, all adults, were taken to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London Thursday evening after two vehicles collided as they exited Interstate 95.

Both vehicles, a Dodge Caravan with six people aboard and a Ford van driven by an employee of DNL Refrigeration of Groton were traveling south on the highway when, apparently, the vehicles collided.

The incident occurred on the Exit 84 connector where the roadway splits for traffic headed for downtown New London, north to Route 32 and to Hodges Square.

New London Battalion Chief Thomas Cursio said all of the occupants of both vehicles went to the hospital with varying degrees of injuries, the most serious appearing to be a possible fractured hip sustained by a woman in the Dodge.

Firefighters had to cut away the rear door of the minivan to gain access to some of its occupants. The front right tire of the Ford was ripped from its axle and lay in the roadway with parts of bumpers, fenders, lights and about a half-dozen pomegranates that appeared to have fallen from the minivan. The truck was wedged beneath a mangled exit sign.

Traffic headed for downtown was diverted through Hodges Square for about 40 minutes while the scene was cleared.

Firefighters from Groton City assisted at the scene. Ambulances included two from New London, two from Waterford and one each from Mystic, Mystic River and Groton. The scene was cleared about 8:40 p.m.

c.potter@theday.com