Bridgeport police investigate 2 overnight deadly crashes less than a half hour apart
The first deadly crash involved a car and a motorcycle on Park Avenue near Suburban Avenue. The second collision occurred about 25 minutes later, when a driver on Fairfield Avenue hit a wall.
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Two people are dead after separate crashes less than 30 minutes apart overnight in Bridgeport.
The first happened at 11:57 p.m. Thursday on Park Avenue near Suburban Avenue, when an SUV collided with a motorcycle. Harry Mergoni, of Bridgeport, was taken to St. Vincent's Medical Center, where he died early Friday morning.
Police say the driver of the SUV remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.
"I look outside. I see the ambulance and the fire department and people screaming,” recalled Ayman Halabi, who lives in the 2500 block of Park Avenue.
On Friday morning, evidence from the crash was still visible in front of Halabi's house.
Halabi told News 12 its becoming a familiar scene.
“Every week, every couple of weeks, there's an accident,” he said.
According to Halabi, drivers speed through the area. He also pointed to the roadway layout, noting that Park Avenue narrows from two lanes to one.
“It's dangerous,” Halabi said.
Police said their preliminary findings indicate that Mergoni, traveling on the motorcycle, was heading southbound on Park Avenue, and as he approached the intersection with Suburban Avenue, was hit by an SUV attempting to make a left turn onto Park Avenue.
The impact caused the 28-year-old to be thrown from his bike.
Twenty-five minutes after the motorcycle crash, emergency crews were called to another deadly crash in the city, this one on Fairfield Avenue near Railroad Avenue. Police said they received multiple calls reporting a car had lost control and hit a wall. The investigation showed that 62-year-old Garth Lawrence was traveling eastbound when he veered to the left, jumped the sidewalk and struck the area between a light pole and a concrete retaining wall, according to police.
The impact trapped the Fairfield man, who who had to be extricated by firefighters. Police say Lawrence was also taken to St. Vincent's but later died.
Police continue to investigate both fatal crashes. Anyone with information is asked to contact them.
