Alleged Drunk Driver Strikes Stamford Officer Who Was Blocking Off Crash Scene Caused by 14-Year-Old Driver

The Stamford Police Department made its first arrest of 2015 just two hours into the New Year when a man was charged with operating under the influence after striking an officer who was blocking off a motor vehicle crash scene, according to a police press release.

Police said the first crash was caused by at 14-year-old who took his parents vehicle without permission. The youth struck a telephone pole and snapped it in half at Hope Street and Plymouth Road at 12:13 a.m. The accident caused power lines to be down in the roadway so the road had to be closed.

K -9 Sgt. Richard Phelan had north bound traffic on Hope Street blocked off at Rock Spring Road with orange cones and his patrol vehicle which had its emergency lights on.

Police said at 2:05 a.m. a vehicle operated by Edward Salazar-Martinez, 28, of Hope Street, was travelling north on Hope Street and drove through the traffic cones and struck the sergeant who was outside of his vehicle.

Salazar-Martinez failed field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest and transported to Police Headquarters. He refused to take a breath test.

Salazar-Martinez was charged with operating under the influence, operating with a suspended motor vehicle license and striking an officer with a motor vehicle. He was released on a $5,000 appearance bond with a court date of Jan. 14.

Phelan was treated for a minor injury to his leg and was released from the hospital, according to police.

Police said the two events were bookends to several other serious calls. At 12:33 a.m. there was a stabbing and single gunshot fired in an incident at 720 Bedford Street and there were two accidents with injuries at 1:23 a.m. (Grove St and Forest St.) and 1:50 a.m. (Vine Road).

Police said Stamford saw a difficult traffic year with six motor vehicle crashes resulting in seven fatalities. The department has increased its enforcement action by creating a Traffic Squad which consists of a sergeant and three officers. The squad issued more than 3,000 tickets and the department made 131 operating under the influence arrests in 2014, with 11 of the OUI arrests occurring during the Christmas season by extra patrols that were funded by CT DOT grants.