Car Winds Up in Hockanum River in Vernon

VERNON, CT — A car sped onto the Route 83-Union Street triangle Friday afternoon and wound up smashed against a retaining wall in the Hockanum River.

The crash took place at about 2 p.m., police said.

Police at the scene said the male driver was not hurt. The compact car, however, had roof damage and its front end was completely smashed in. Both airbags had deployed.

There were no visible skid marks in the road, but the car left tire tracks on a grassy area near a World War II monument and flagpole. Both were narrowly missed by the car before it crashed into the river.

One man said he saw the car whiz past him after he pulled over on the right side of the triangle in his pickup truck to make a phone call.

The triangle is home to the Tire Town repair shop and a gas station.

Police said the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protect had been notified of the crash.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

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