MONROE, Conn. — Failing brakes may have caused the rollover accident on Turkey Roost Road, near Cahill Road, on Nov. 23. The driver, an 18-year-old Monroe man, did not report any injuries.
Firefighters, who posted photos on the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 Inc. Facebook page, said he was evaluated by Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel at the scene.
At approximately 3:11 p.m., the driver told officers he believed his 2013 BMW 328xi experienced brake failure, contributing to his missing a right turn onto Cahill Road and striking a curb as he headed east. Police said the driver told them he could not slow down.
After striking the curb to the right, the car rebounded, crossing the center line to the left, where it struck the curb on the other side of the road, exited the roadway and collided with trees before going down an embankment, causing a rollover.
The BMW came to rest on its driver’s side.
A 17-year-old Monroe female who witnessed the crash told officers the BMW was driven at or just over the speed limit and she saw the brake lights activate, but it didn’t slow down.
The driver was not issued any infractions and his vehicle was towed due to disabling damage.
Smash and grab
Surveillance video showed two males wearing baggy clothing and ski masks steal a backpack and two purses from a 2017 Subaru Impreza parked in a driveway on Pastors Walk Nov. 24.
At 4:30 a.m., a dark SUV pulled up in front of the house and the two males could be seen walking up the driveway. They tried door handles to vehicles and one of them shined a flashlight to look inside the Subaru Impreza.
He called the other male over, who broke the passenger side window with his elbow. Both men took the bags from the seat and left toward Guinea Road.
The victim told officers nothing of value was inside the bags, which had a total estimated value of $205. The case is under investigation.
Competing for cooking oil
Buffalo Biodiesel, a recycling company, has tanks for used cooking oil behind restaurant buildings in town. Oftentimes, thieves try to steal the oil to sell it, but the company now faces another scheme from a competitor.
On Wednesday, at 8:06 a.m., an employee from Testo’s Restaurant, 505 Main St., reported the possible theft of cooking oil from behind its building.
Officers responding to the call found a large oil truck belonging to a Stamford based recycling company parked in the back. One cooking oil tank was on its trailer and a second was placed next to the Dumpsters, police said.
Two men said they were there to drop off a new safeguarded oil tank. Surveillance video showed they did not pump oil from an existing tank owned by Buffalo Biodiesel. They had their boss on the phone, who said their business model is to drop off their tanks, then call restaurant owners to see if they want to switch to their company.
The men told officers they had just dropped off a tank at another Monroe restaurant on Main Street and that restaurant confirmed it.
Officers told the supervisor on the phone he cannot continue to conduct business like that in Monroe anymore, and going forward he should contact restaurants about doing business with them first, before leaving tanks.
The men removed their tank from the parking lot, were identified and photographed, and left the scene without further incident, police said.
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