NHPD: Van Driver Fell Asleep Before Crash, Power Outage

By Thomas Breen, New Haven Independent

NEW HAVEN, CT — A 58-year-old East Rocker fell asleep behind the wheel of a U-Haul van last month — before crashing into an Orange Street utility pole and plunging part of the neighborhood into darkness.

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That’s what the driver told the cops, according to an accident report written by New Haven Police Department (NHPD) Officer Joshua Rivera on March 5. The Independent recently obtained a copy of that accident report via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The crash in question took place just after 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, on Orange Street between Trumbull Street and Bradley Street.

According to Rivera’s report, the driver of a 2025 white Ford Transit U-Haul van said that he was traveling south on Orange Street towards Trumbull Street when “he dozed off due to moving all day and fell asleep” before colliding into a utility pole.

A United Illuminating (UI) spokesperson told the Independent at the time that 1,107 customers were impacted by a resulting power outage and that “crews worked to isolate the circuit and repair and replace the damaged equipment.” Power was restored for all affected customers by 4 a.m. Thursday.

The van’s driver “denied suffering from any injuries but agreed to be transported by AMR to Yale New Haven Hospital” to be evaluated in case he hit his head during the crash, according to Rivera’s report.

The U-Haul van was then towed “due to disabling damages.” Rivera wrote that he observed “disabling damages located to the front bumper, hood, windshield, passenger side frame, and air bags being deployed.” UI was then notified “and later arrived on scene.”

Rivera found that the driver was at fault for the collision.

The Independent was not able to get in touch with the driver for a comment by the publication time of this article.

The New Haven Independent is a not-for-profit public-interest daily news site founded in 2005.