Fairfield police Chief Gary MacNamara is in the hospital undergoing tests after his cruiser was rear-ended by a local woman driving with her 7-month-old child in the backseat, according to police.
Fairfield police spokesman Lt. James Perez said MacNamara was stopped at a red light on Reef Road around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when a BMW SUV slammed into the back of his unmarked cruiser. MacNamara’s car was pushed forward into another vehicle parked ahead of him.
The BMW then crossed the street and struck the south side of a brick building at 1499 Boston Post Road. No one in the building was hurt, Perez said.
"Although we cannot tell how fast she was driving, it's self-evident by the damage on his vehicle that she was driving at an extremely high speed," Perez explained. "We just don't know that speed. We do know there was no braking involved, so she ran right into him."
MacNamara's cruiser was struck so hard, the driver’s seat was dislodged on impact and firefighters had to extricate him from the car, according to Perez.
He was conscious at the scene and was concerned about the other people involved in the crash. MacNamara was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he is undergoing tests.
Fairfield police provided an update on the department Facebook page Tuesday night.
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"[MacNamara] is in good condition at the hospital but may remain there overnight for observation," the post says. "Confidence is high that he will be home tomorrow."
The woman driving the BMW and her child were taken to Bridgeport Hospital but appear to be OK, Perez said. The third driver was shaken up but uninjured.
Two accident reconstruction teams are at the scene investigating the cause of the crash. Perez said the woman’s cellphone and other electronics have been confiscated as evidence.
"The one thing the driver kept saying was, 'I made a mistake, I made a mistake,' but she wouldn't elaborate or explain what that mistake was," Perez said. "We're thinking it could possibly have been texting or distracted driving, but it could also be medical. We're not sure at this point."
No charges have been filed.
