For the second day in a row, Albany Avenue in West Hartford was closed from Mountain Road to the Avon town line due to a multi-vehicle crash, and a related separate crash involved a fire truck.

By Ronni Newton

A chain reaction crash in West Hartford Thursday, which police said began with the erratic operation of a vehicle by an unlicensed and uninsured driver, resulted in damage to four vehicles, sent two people to local hospitals, and also led to a second crash between a vehicle and a fire department apparatus that involved injuries.

The initial crash, the second on Avon Mountain in as many days, happened at approximately 3:10 p.m. Thursday, and resulted in the closure of Albany Avenue/Route 44 from Mountain Road to the Avon town line for investigation and clearing of the scene.

West Hartford Police Capt. Eric Rocheleau said dispatchers received multiple calls about the crash. Police, the West Hartford Fire Department, and American Medical Response ambulances responded and when they arrived on the scene found four vehicles had been involved.

Two individuals who were involved in the crash were injured and transported to local hospitals by ambulance, Rocheleau said. One of the victims required surgery for treatment of serious injuries, while the other individual suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said that witnesses reported an eastbound vehicle, that was being driven erratically and then struck another vehicle near Ferncliff Drive, setting off the chain reaction crash. Four vehicles were ultimately involved, and three of the four vehicles sustained heavy damage.

According to Rocheleau, the driver of the vehicle that caused the crash was unlicensed, and the vehicle was uninsured.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and charges are pending, Rocheleau said.

A piece of West Hartford Fire Department apparatus, which was responding to the crash on Avon Mountain, was involved in a separate crash with a passenger car at the intersection of Albany Avenue and Mountain Road, police said. Two occupants of the passenger vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to an area hospital. No firefighters were injured, police said.

Albany Avenue reopened after several hours, police said. The West Hartford Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team is continuing to investigate the multi-vehicle crash.

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