More state police may be enforcing traffic law soon on Interstate 95 in Fairfield County and on U.S. Route 7 after the deaths of a Darien woman on Tuesday, a bus driver on Wednesday and recent accidents that have left I-95 backed up for hours.
Part of a picture posted on state Sen. Bob Duff’s Instagram account, showing the truck-bus accident at Exit 14.
A 3 p.m. accident Wednesday close by Exit 14 on the southbound-traffic side of Interstate 95 sent a bus driver and 18 injured passengers to Norwalk and Stamford hospital, according to a report in the Hour of Norwalk.
The accident involved a large truck and a bus killed the bus driver, a 32-year-old New Jersey man. On Tuesday, Selma Spector, 85, of Darien died after a multi-car accident on U.S. Route 7.
“Two serious accidents in as many days on our highways in Norwalk is too much,” state Sen. Bob Duff said in a statement Wednesday night on Instagram. The statement from Duff, who is the majority leader in the state Senate and represents Norwalk and part of Darien, was attached to a photograph (attached to this article) of the scene at Exit 14.
“In fact, there have a lot of accidents lately in the Stamford-Bridgeport corridor. Enough is enough.
“Tonight, I’ve been in touch with state police and the governor’s office in order to beef up enforcement of our area. They’ve been very responsive and believe they will look favorably on my request.
“Not only do we want safe roads, but also highways that aren’t backed up for miles inconveniencing commuters and disrupting commerce.”
After the 3 p.m. accident at Exit 14, the southbound-traffic side of the highway wasn’t entirely cleared for traffic until 9 p.m. Traffic barely inched along as late as 4:30 p.m. As late as 7:45 p.m., it was backed up into Fairfield. At that point in the evening, traffic was backed up on the northbound side as far as Fairfield as well.
“Duff was confident State Police would respond to his request for additional enforcement in preventing drivers from speeding, texting and driving, tailgating and general reckless driving,” the Hour reported.