A man from Waterbury has been arrested after a garbage truck overturned on Route 8 in Seymour on Saturday and closed the highway for hours.
State police said 30-year-old Jose Edwin Vasquez, of Waterbury, was driving a garbage truck on Route 8 southbound near exit 22 around 12 p.m. when he was unable to negotiate a left curve.
Vasquez's vehicle rolled onto its right side and blocked all travel lanes. The crash closed Route 8 south for approximately five hours, state police added.
According to police, Vasquez said he was hauling approximately 80 tons of garbage from Waterbury to Bridgeport and he may have been operating the vehicle overweight at the time of the crash.
Witnesses told police that Vasquez was driving in an erratic and reckless manner before the crash, troopers said.
As part of the investigation, troopers said a full commercial motor vehicle inspection was conducted and several serious violations were discovered.
Investigators also said Vasquez had a full commercial motor vehicle inspection in February, where he was cited for several violations. Saturday's post accident inspection showed Vasquez did not make the necessary corrections after the inspection in February.
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State police also said they later learned Vasquez was driving under suspension as of April 5, 2020 under a disqualified CDL endorsement.
Vasquez was arrested and is facing charges including reckless endangerment, reckless driving, operating under suspension and failure to maintain proper lane. He was released on a $5,000 bond and will appear in court on June 26.
No injuries were reported.
