SHARE

Tractor-Trailer Rollover On I-84 Snarls Traffic For Hours

DANBURY, Conn. — It wasn't the kind of publicity that CVS wanted: A tractor-trailer bearing the drug store's bright red block letters was on its side, blocking I-84 in Danbury after a rollover crash early Wednesday. 

A wrecker and work crew attempt to right a rolled over tractor-trailer on the shoulder of I-84 in Danbury late Wednesday morning.

A wrecker and work crew attempt to right a rolled over tractor-trailer on the shoulder of I-84 in Danbury late Wednesday morning.

Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation
A CVS truck lies on its side on the shoulder of I-84 in Danbury after an early morning crash Wednesday.

A CVS truck lies on its side on the shoulder of I-84 in Danbury after an early morning crash Wednesday.

Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police
A tractor-trailer crash on I-84 near Exit 5 in Danbury was blocking traffic early Wednesday.

A tractor-trailer crash on I-84 near Exit 5 in Danbury was blocking traffic early Wednesday.

Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation
A rolled-over tractor-trailer was closing part of westbound I-84 in Danbury early Wednesday.

A rolled-over tractor-trailer was closing part of westbound I-84 in Danbury early Wednesday.

Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

The crash caused traffic jams for hours — with backups at one point for more than 10 miles on I-84 into Newtown, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Danbury saw backups on many surface streets, including onto Main Street, and back onto Route 7 as well. 

The crash initially blocked the entire roadway of I-84 west, then just two lanes and then just the shoulder as crews completed the cleanup work, which lasted into the afternoon.    

The crash occurred at 4:40 a.m. Wednesday near Exit 5 of westbound I-84 in Danbury as the tractor-trailer struck a jersey barrier on the right shoulder of the highway, then rolled over onto its driver's side, state police said in a statement.  

The tractor-trailer slid on the highway and came to an uncontrolled stop in the left and center lane of three on I-84 west, state police said. 

The driver, Robert Benoit, 28, of Webster, Mass., sustained only minor injuries in the crash. He was wearing a seatbelt, but the truck's airbags did not deploy. 

DOT supervisors and state troopers diverted traffic until Hilario's Towing removed the tractor-trailer from the highway, state police said. 

I-84 was blocked in the area for about three hours as traffic used the right lane to get past the accident scene, state police said. 

The tractor-trailer, a 2017 Freightliner towing a 2015 Great Dane trailer, was hauling general merchandise for CVS. The truck was operated out of Rhode Island. 

A wrecker was used to "right" the truck, and workers had to unload its contents and pack the items onto another truck, according to the News-Times.

It was raining early Wednesday in the area, after periods of overnight snow and freezing rain, which could have caused slick road conditions in the area, DOT said. 

to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE