Wallingford Police Officer Hospitalized After Crash

WALLINGFORD, CT — A Wallingford police officer was hospitalized after being injured in a crash while helping a disabled tractor-trailer Tuesday night in Wallingford, according to police.

Officer Justin Bussell was assisting a disabled tractor-trailer around 9:15 p.m. in the rightmost eastbound travel lane on Route 68 in the area of Barnes Road, according to police.

Police said Bussell was “positioned behind the tractor-trailer in a fully-marked police cruiser with its emergency warning lights activated.”

While assisting the driver of the tractor-trailer, Bussell’s cruiser was struck from behind by a Ford Expedition that was also heading east on Route 68.

The force of the collision sent Bussell’s cruiser off the road and into the wooded area, according to police.

Police said Bussell was temporarily trapped inside the cruiser and had to be pulled out of the rear driver-side door. Bussell was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash, according to police.

An occupant of the involved vehicle was also treated for injuries sustained in the crash, police said.

The weather conditions at the time were windy with moderate rainfall, according to police.

“The Wallingford Police Department urges motorists to reduce their speeds, especially during times of inclement weather when conditions can reduce visibility and stopping distance,” police wrote in a news release. “For the safety of our officers and the community, we remind motorists of the Connecticut ‘Move Over’ law found under Connecticut General Statute 14-283b that stipulates the following:

“Any operator of a motor vehicle on a highway when approaching one or more emergency vehicles that are stationary or traveling significantly below the posted speed limit and located on the shoulder, lane, or breakdown lane of such highway shall:

“(1) immediately reduce speed to a reasonable level below the posted speed limit, and

“(2) if traveling in the lane adjacent to the shoulder, lane or breakdown lane containing such emergency vehicle, move such motor vehicle over one lane, unless such movement would be unreasonable or unsafe.”