Diana Stricker Photo
At the scene of the crash
A Branford police officer, who was injured when his cruiser was hit by a DUI driver, was able to steer his damaged cruiser onto the berm to avoid chain-reaction collisions at the busy North Main Street intersection.
I know that because I was there. The force of the impact caused the westbound cruiser to head toward my car, which was stopped in the far left turn-lane of North Main Street, waiting to turn onto Cedar Street. There were cars in the two lanes to my right, and vehicles behind us. But thankfully, no other cars were hit.
When I told police that I witnessed the accident, I commended the officer’s adept driving that prevented further collisions.
“That’s what they’re trained for,” Capt. Geoff Morgan told me.
Morgan said the driver, Officer Ryan Gotowala, and his passenger, Officer Brett Johnson, were injured but were doing well Friday. They were treated at the scene by Branford Fire Department paramedics and then transported to Yale New Haven Hospital.
Branford P.D.
After my initial shock wore off, I realized that although this was an unusual experience for me, it’s an example of the danger police face routinely as they attempt to keep us safe. The news release issued Friday morning said the accident occurred while police were responding to an emergency. This photo was taken the following morning.
What I Saw and Heard
The accident occurred shortly before 9:30 p.m. Thursday while my car was stopped at the traffic light. There were actually two police cruisers en route to the emergency, traveling from different directions.
Traffic stopped when the first police car, which was traveling north on Cedar Street, turned left to travel west on North Main Street. A few seconds later, a second police vehicle operated by Gotowala approached the intersection traveling west on North Main Street. Like the first cruiser, the lights were flashing and the siren was blaring.
As I watched the second cruiser enter the intersection, a southbound car sped down Cedar Street and collided with the cruiser. If the officer had not kept his car under control after the impact, there could have been injuries to motorists stopped at the intersection.
Police said the cruiser was struck by a 2016 Audi operated by Jeffrey Murchison, 59, of 50 Maple St., Branford. The Audi was damaged and did not appear to move after impact.
Within moments, police and paramedics were on the scene. Branford Fire Department Headquarters is a short distance from the intersection.
Police said Murchison refused treatment at the scene, and was subsequently taken into custody and charged with Operating While Under the Influence. He was released pending a court appearance in New Haven scheduled for July 27.
Morgan said the two officers will return to work soon, which is something we can all be thankful for.
It made me think of the five Dallas officers who were killed by a sniper last week while they were trying to protect peaceful protestors. The daily work of dedicated police and emergency responders is not easy or predictable.
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