Timothy Michael Ryan
WATERBURY – Five people were injured Wednesday night after a drunken-driver crashed head-on into another vehicle, according to state police.
Shortly after 7 p.m., police say Timothy Michael Ryan, of West Haven, was driving a Ford Escape owned by King Network Services southbound in the left lane of Route 8 northbound.
Ryan struck a Honda CR-V head-on near Exit 32, police said.
The impact caused the CR-V to spin clockwise, veering into the right lane. The driver of a third vehicle, a Nissan Rogue, was unable to slow down and struck the front of the spinning SUV, police said.
The CR-V came to a rest after its rear quarter panel struck the concrete jersey barrier median.
All three vehicles had heavy front-end damage.
The CR-V was driven by Emily Ann Santoro, 23, of Cheshire. She and two passengers were transported to Saint Mary’s Hospital with minor injuries, according to police. A fourth occupant suffered minor injuries but was not hospitalized.
The driver of the Rogue, 49-year-old Andrea Wilson of Waterbury, was transported to the same hospital with chest pains.
Ryan, 38, who was not injured, failed a field sobriety test at the scene, police said. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and driving the wrong way.
He posted a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Jan. 10.
Ryan has a record that includes convictions for second-degree larceny and possession of a controlled substance.
