Truck Driver Charged In November Crash On Route 30 In Vernon

VERNON, CT — A truck driver involved in a late-November crash with a car on Route 30 is now facing three charges, police said.

According to a warrant served on Wednesday, Brian Forbes, 28, of East Hartford, has been charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving and unsafe backing. He posted a $5,000 bond and is due in court on Jan. 23, according to an arrest report.

The crash took place just before 9 p.m. on Nov. 28 along the 1100 block of Hartford Turnpike, records show. The cab of a tractor-trailer collided with a Nissan 350Z, according to case records.

It was a day that involved several crashes in Vernon.

The warrant states that Forbes was not entirely at fault. The driver of the car, whose name was not mentioned in the warrant, tested at 0.16 — twice the legal blood alcohol limit. The driver of the car underwent several surgeries for several broken bones and a heart condition after being taken from the scene to Hartford Hospital and is currently in rehabilitation, according to a warrant.

Forbes had a blood alcohol content of zero at the time of the crash, a warrant states. He allegedly gave an inaccurate account of his driving that night in terms of direction, according to as warrant.

Police reconstructed the accident with the help of surveillance images from area businesses.

Forbes later said he was heading to a friend's residence on Hartford Turnpike — the local name for that stretch of Route 30 — to pick up a home-cooked meal for an upcoming trip and was safely backing into a driveway with hazard lights illuminated, according to a warrant. Investigators determined that he failed to negotiate a turn and, rather than going forward and turning around in a safe spot, he tried to back into a driveway. With a lack of markings on the bare truck cab, it was "virtually invisible" on the road at night for the 14 seconds of backing time, according to a warrant.

The driver of the car was traveling about 2 mph over the 45 mph speed limit, according to a warrant. Forbes said the car came up on his truck at a high rate of speed, according to a warrant.

A warrant states they both played "contributing roles" in the crash. Police said Wednesday afternoon the crash is still being investigated and more charges are possible.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

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