East Hampton police have arrested a 29-year-old Middletown man who is accused of hitting a crossing guard at Pumpkintown USA, an annual fall festival in East Hampton, yesterday and leaving the scene.
The crossing guard was controlling traffic on Route 66 on Tuesday afternoon when when Jason Parent, of Middletown, crashed into a parked car, sending it spinning into the eastbound lanes, police said.
Parent continued going and hit the crossing guard, who was taken to Hartford Hospital to be treated, police said. The injured employee has been released and is at home, according to staff at Pumpkintown.
Route 66 was closed to the Marlborough town line while police investigated and officers found Parent's car near the scene. He was charged with two counts of evading responsibility, one count of operating with a suspended license, one count of following to close and one count of distracted driving.
East Hampton police have consulted with officials from the state Department of Transportation to discuss traffic control in the area because Route 66 is a state road and and DOT officials said the only acceptable traffic control on a state highway is for an officer to be stationed there.
A Pumpkintown employee has dealt with traffic in the past.
East Hampton Police have also met with company owners about safety plans, who will hire an off-duty officer or make modifcations so that everything associated with Paul’s & Sandy’s and Pumpkintown is on one side of the road. police said.
East Hampton police plan to have an officer at the site over the weekend.
