This evening at 7:42PM the Westport Fire Department received a call for the accident with injuries on the Merritt Parkway Northbound between Exit 41 and Exit 42. The Westport Fire Department responded with Engine 2, Rescue 3 and Car 3 with a total of 8 firefighters and officers.

Units arrived to find the Connecticut State Police on scene with a 3 vehicle accident involving two cars and a tow truck with 6 injured, 3 with serious injuries and 3 with non-life threating injuries. All of the injured were out of the vehicles and Westport Firefighters began treating them. Westport EMS and Norwalk Hospital ambulances responded to continue patient care and transport the injured to the hospital. The accident had blocked the parkway causing it to be shut down to all north bound traffic for approximately 1 hour causing traffic delays in the area. Westport Fire units assisted with cleaning the debris from the accident and the last fire department units cleared the scene at 8:52PM

The Westport Fire Department would like to remind everyone of the importance of using their seat belts.

• Every hour, a U.S. driver dies simply because they did not buckle up

• A safety-belted driver has a better chance of maintaining control of a vehicle during and immediately

following a collision, protecting passengers and others on the road.

• Ejection from the vehicle is one of the most injurious events that can happen to a person in a crash. In

fatal crashes, 75 percent of passenger car occupants who were completely ejected from the vehicle were

killed.

• Research has found that lap/shoulder safety belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury for front

seat passengers by 45 percent

Westport Fire Department Press Release–Assistant Chief/Platoon 3 Shift Commander Michael Kronick