Branford Fire Department
A 66-year-old driver, apparently distracted because he missed a turn-off to a street, decided to rectify his mistake by making an abrupt U‑turn on Main Street last week. In doing so he crashed head-on into an oncoming car.
According to a police report, Dennis O’Neill, who lives at 107 Chestnut St., was driving his utility van West on Main Street, when he missed his turn. He then attempted a U‑turn at the corner of Main and Home streets, near Shelley’s Garden Center, and collided with a car going East on Main St. The car was driven by Madrue Tompkins, 72, of Short Beach Road in East Haven.
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Branford Police Department
It was about 2:15 p.m., on a clear but frigid day when the accident happened.
Branford Firefighters arrived on the scene and found Tompkins pinned inside her car. They quickly decided to use the “Jaws of Life” to extricate her, Acting Fire Chief Shaun Heffernan said. She later told police she suffered injuries to her left arm and her left leg during the collision.
“The extremely cold weather presented a unique challenge for us today,”Acting Assistant Fire Chief Ron Mullen said last week. “We had to move quickly to extricate the patient and get her out of the elements.”
The fire department provided an early, but sketchy report of the collision. The Eagle obtained the police report yesterday.
The airbags in both cars deployed, probably preventing more serious injuries. Both drivers were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital. O’Neill suffered a small laceration on his right temple, the report says.
Police officer Melissa Carney charged O’Neill with two infractions, one citing him for failing to drive on the right side of the street, and the other for making a restricted turn when he did.
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