Fairfield

Man Charged in Crash That Seriously Injured State Trooper

Trooper Gregory Sawicki cruiser Joseph Buzzanca
Connecticut State Police

State police have arrested a man who is accused of causing a crash on Interstate 95 in Fairfield in June that seriously injured a state trooper who had stopped to check on another vehicle.

Police have arrested 33-year-old Joseph Buzzanca in connection with a crash early on the morning of June 16 that injured Trooper Gregory Sawicki and caused minor injuries to two other people.  

Sawicki was on patrol when he saw a vehicle stopped along the shoulder of I-95 North in Fairfield around 2:30 a.m. that Sunday and stopped with lights and sirens on, police said.

Around three minutes later, Buzzanca’s Chevrolet Tahoe crashed into the back of Sawicki’s Ford Taurus, which pushed the state police vehicle into the Ford Mustang that was stopped on the side of the road. according to state police.

People in all three vehicles were treated at the scene and transported for medical treatment.

Sawicki suffered a concussion, three broken ribs, “bone impingements of the right shoulder and hip” and a torn left rotator cuff, according to a report from state police.  

Police said Buzzanca did not apply the brakes of the Tahoe before the crash and the vehicle was going between 70 and 75 miles per hour.

Buzzanca has been charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, reckless driving, failure to reduce speed or move over for emergency vehicle, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, failure to drive in the proper lane and failure to use a seatbelt.  

Bond was set at $50,000 and Buzzanca is due in court on Feb. 11.  

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