Passenger Seriously Injured In Bridgeport Crash; Driver Ran Away: PD

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A passenger in an SUV was seriously injured Monday evening when the vehicle he was riding in crashed into the rear of a parked tractor trailer on North Avenue in Bridgeport, according to police.

Airbags were deployed in the 6:44 p.m. crash, but the driver of the vehicle ran away from the scene before emergency personnel arrived, said Bridgeport Police Capt. Lonnie Blackwell, M.S., in a statement.

"The Bridgeport Fire Department and AMR responded to the scene along with Bridgeport Police Officers to render aid," Blackwell said. "A preliminary investigation confirmed a 2002 tan Acura MDX traveling westbound on North Avenue between Remer Street and Wells Street crashed into the rear of a parked tractor trailer. The Acura was occupied by two males and the operator fled the scene on foot prior to emergency responders arriving."

The passenger's current condition was not known, but firefighers were "forced to remove several sections of the vehicle to access the injured passenger and provide medical treatment to him." He is being treated at St. Vincent's Medical Center.

Members of the Bridgeport Police Serious Crash Team are investigating the crash, with assistance from the Southern Fairfield County Traffic Unit and Fairfield Police Department.

Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact the Bridgeport Police Department Traffic Division, Officer Andrew Orum, at 203-576-7640, or via email at Andrew.Orum@bridgeportct.gov.

Additionally, tips can be left on the Bridgeport Police Department Tips Hotline at 203-576-TIPS.