FAIRFIELD â€" Two Fairfield police officers â€" including one shot multiple times last year â€" were hospitalized early today after their cars collided.
Officer Gerald Veneziano and Sgt. Christopher Oswald responded to a Montville police report that a driver who refused to stop was heading towards Fairfield, according to Deputy Chief Anthony Manna.
The two police cars collided at 1:11 a.m. while chasing Taiwan Davis, who was heading west on Route 46. Davis, 27, attempted to exit at the closed off Hollywood Avenue ramp, according to Manna. When he swerved back onto the highway in front of Oswald, the officer steered into the median where Veneziano, who was heading eastbound, was attempting to cross the median.
Airbags deployed in both police vehicles and both officers were taken to Morristown Medical Center, Manna said. The front of Oswald’s vehicle struck the rear of Veneziano’s vehicle, Manna said.
Oswald, 39, was released around 5 a.m. with contusions on his right leg and soreness, according to Manna. Veneziano, 28, remained in the hospital last night, waiting on an MRI for a neck injury, Manna said.
"He’s one tough guy, as we well know from the past," Manna said.
The driver was later arrested by Montville police.
Davis faces charges of driving while intoxicated and eluding police, among other charges and outstanding warrants.
Veneziano had recently returned to full duty as a Fairfield police officer after being shot multiple times Jan. 30, 2010, while driving to work to start a night shift.
Another driver had reportedly been trailing Veneziano’s car for several miles. When the off-duty officer approached the vehicle and identified himself as a police officer, the other driver allegedly opened fire and shot Veneziano between six to nine times and then drove off.
Veneziano was critically injured and the shooting launched a massive manhunt for the gunman.
"This kid is a great officer. Couldn’t wait to come back to duty," Manna said yesterday. "A lot of people don’t return to duty after something like this happens."
After recovering, Veneziano returned to work modified duty in September. He worked at police headquarters and was cleared for full duty about a month ago. He just returned to patrolling on his own a few weeks ago, Manna said.
Preye L. Roberts, 24, has been charged with attempted murder in connection with the January shooting. However, in February his attorney said Roberts was unfit to appear in court and was in a Trenton psychiatric hospital.
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