West Hartford Police say that the Saturday afternoon crash, which also resulted in several injuries, was caused by a distracted driving who ran a stop sign.

Two vehicles, a mailbox, and a stop sign with solar-powered warning lights were damaged due to a distracted driving accident. Photo courtesy of West Hartford Police

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford Police report that a driver who was engaged in an argument on his cell phone drove through a stop sign at the intersection of Whiting Lane and Boulevard on Saturday afternoon and collided with another vehicle, injuring three people, causing heavy damage to both cars, and destroying a mailbox as well as a stop sign that had solar warning lights on it.

According to police, Jose Vasquez-Crespo was driving south on Whiting Lane at 4:29 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8. Police said that Vasquez-Crespo, 34, of Worcester, MA, was engaged in an argument when he proceeded to drive through the stop sign and collide with a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Wendy Hernandez that was headed eastbound on Bouleveard.

This stop sign at the corner of Boulevard and Whiting Lane, which has solar-powered warning lights on it, was destroyed in an accident Saturday. Photo courtesy of West Hartford Police

Hernandez and Vasquez-Crespo were both transported to Hartford Hospital with moderate injuries. Kiomarys Martinez, a passenger in Vasquez-Crespo’s vehicle, also sustained moderate injuries, police said. According to police, none of the injuries were life-threatening.

Vasquez-Crespo was issued an infranction the stop sign violation and for illegal use of a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle.

The incident occurred in the middle of the West Hartford Police Department’s “U Drive. U Text. U Pay” campaign to deter distracted driving. That campaign runs from Aug. 3 through Aug. 16.

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