Car Crashes into Tree; Driver Taken to Hospital

The Westport Fire Department, the State Police and Westport EMS responded to a car accident on the Merritt  Parkway, northbound exit 42-44, about one mile north of the Weston Road on-ramp, according to a news release.

Upon arrival at 9:21 p.m., units found a car crashed into a tree, with heavy front-end damage and the driver still inside the vehicle. Firefighters assisted EMS to remove the driver from the vehicle and place the injured patient on a backboard for transport to Norwalk Hospital.  

Firefighters remained on the scene with State Police until the vehicle was removed by the towing company. 

The State Police attributed the accident to an ancillary GPS device falling from the windshield, which the driver was trying to retrieve while operating the car.

Police ask motorists not to attempt to retrieve items outside their immediate reach when operating a motor vehicle.  If you must retrieve an item, pull off the roadway at the next exit and find a safe place to pull over and retrieve the item, after you have placed your vehicle into the "park" position, the release states.

The last Fire Department unit left the scene at 9:53 p.m.