No one hurt when Subaru crashes through the roundabout
August 31, 2021 | By Lisa Scagliotti 
Fresh tire tracks Sunday morning across the stamped concrete and damage to the granite curb show where a wayward Subaru crashed into the roundabout Saturday evening. Plants in the path, however, are untouched. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
No one was injured Saturday night when a Subaru Outback careened down Route 100 toward the roundabout and apparently became airborne briefly, landing in in the middle of the traffic circle and eventually crashing to a stop in a nearby parking lot.
Vermont state Trooper Tylor Rancourt in a press release later said troopers responded at 8:16 p.m. to the scene where the vehicle was found in the parking lot across from the roundabout near Pack and Send Plus.
Police identified the driver as Gustavo Torrico, 57, of Cranford, New Jersey. Torrico, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured, although the 2012 Subaru Outback he was driving sustained extensive front end damage, police said.
The weather was clear and road conditions were dry at the time, according to the report.
Police said Torrico was under the influence of intoxicants. He was taken to the Middlesex barracks and issued a citation for Driving Under the Influence and was scheduled to appear in Washington Superior Court on Sept. 16.
On Sunday, Mike Loschiavo with Vermont Gardenscapes in Waterbury Center was at the roundabout inspecting the damage. His company contracts to maintain the landscaping in the large bed at the center of the circle and other nearby plantings.
The initial police report described a vehicle that “drove over the roundabout” but there were no tracks entirely through the planted area. A closer look revealed tire tracks on the concrete, stopping at the granite curb which was damaged; multiple pieces of plastic from a vehicle were strewn about.
Plants on the outer edge of the circle bed were intact but in the middle of the circle, several large shrubs were badly smashed with branches on the ground. A water pipe and spigot was bent and broken although it was not leaking. A directional traffic sign previously attached to a pole along the circle was across the street on the ground, propped against a signpost. More debris from the damaged plants and broken vehicle parts including a fog light were on the ground in the parking lot near the Waterbury welcome sign.
Loschiavo expressed surprise at what had occurred and said he would have a crew tend to the plantings this week.
Waterbury Public Works Director Bill Woodruff said the water line would need repairs that likely would become part of an insurance claim. “We are in the process of totaling up the damages,” Woodruff said. That includes some plants, the yard hydrant, the directional sign and post and minor damage to the granite curb and stamped concrete, he said.
Rancourt did not note in his report whether there were any witnesses to the crash. Anyone with information should contact the state police Middlesex barracks at 229-9191.