Connecticut
Looks like red light cameras are coming to CT. Here’s what the fines will be.
Connecticut moved Tuesday night towards automated traffic enforcement with the Senate voting 27-9 for a bill that would give municipalities a local option to use cameras to issue tickets for speeding and running red lights.
To win final passage in the last 24 hours of the 2023 session, proponents had to overcome concerns raised by the ACLU and NAACP about potential abuses and discriminatory enforcement.
Parents beware: Thousands of teens have lost their lives driving between Memorial Day and Labor Day
“It’s something that has become a little bit contentious and controversial. And because of that, the Transportation Committee membership has really taken a hard look at what automated enforcement should look like in the state of Connecticut,” said Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, the committee co-chair.
Automated enforcement zones would have to be clearly marked, and fines would be capped at $50 for a first offense and $75 for a second offense regardless of a violator’s recorded speed. Speeders would have to be going at least 10 miles per hour over the limit to get an automated ticket.
The speed limit and red light cameras would be limited to school zones, defined pedestrian safety zones and other locations chosen by local officials and approved by the Office of State Traffic Administration. Violations would be handled like a parking ticket, with no points assessed to a driver’s license.
Red light and speed trap cameras across CT? 104 lawmakers say yes.
“I am concerned about Big Brother,” said Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, one of eight Republicans to oppose the bill. “What we’re doing by this bill is we’re giving government yet one more tool to monitor our behavior.”
Sen. Saud Anwar of South Windsor was the only Democrat opposed.
Members of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, who had been lobbied by the NAACP to oppose the bill, said minorities often are disproportionately affected by law enforcement but also by uncontrolled speeding in urban neighborhoods.
Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, said he lives near an accident-prone intersection with frequent accidents, including one that left a car on his lawn and another that resulted in a near miss as he returned home with his young twins.
“We all have seen it and lived it,” said Sen. Jorge Cabrera, D-Hamden. “We have to do something.”
Last year was the deadliest on Connecticut roadways in decades, with the deaths of 239 drivers and passengers and 75 pedestrians in 2022.
Camera locations would have to get approved by the DOT every three years, and the local legislative body would have to authorize their use.
Sen. Herron Gaston, D-Bridgeport, said he has been assured by DOT officials they will work with civil rights groups to ensure the automated cameras are not used in a discriminatory fashion.
Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to sign the bill.
Mark Pazniokas is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/ ). Copyright 2023 © The Connecticut Mirror.
Connecticut
Connecticut man dies nine days after being struck by car in Wall
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WALL – A 64-year-old Connecticut man has died from injuries suffered when he was struck by a car on Route 35 Nov. 9, police said.
Michael Losacano, of Niantic, Connecticut, passed away on Nov. 18 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, police said. Losacano was hit by a Ford Explorer being driven southbound on the highway near Wall Church Road by a 72-year-old Farmingdale man at about 6:42 p.m. Nov. 9, according to police.
Losacano was taken to the hospital by Wall Township EMS. The accident is still under investigation and police did not reveal the name of the Explorer’s driver.
The accident is being investigated by Wall police Sgt. Andrew Baldino, the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART), and Detective Nicholas Logothetis of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or who has information relevant to the investigation is asked to call Wall police at (732) 449-4500.
Jean Mikle: @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com.
Connecticut
On CT Adoption Day, 40 children find their forever homes
Judge Matthew Larock asked Ryan Soto if he had a statement to make. Soto was sitting next to 11-year-old Gabriel in a Torrington court room on Friday, finalizing his adoption.
Soto stood up and turned toward the gallery. The courtroom benches were filled with family members and case workers from the state Department of Children and Families, wearing proud smiles. This was a good day.
First, Soto thanked the many people who had helped make the adoption a reality. Then, he looked at his son.
“Gabe, I am honored that you came into my life. You are such an intelligent, kind kid. Thank you for making room in your heart for me as your dad, because we all have options here,” Soto said. Then, Soto addressed the rest of the room, and even the imagined audience that might be listening beyond:
“There’s so many kids out there and a lot of older youth, they need help, and oftentimes we forget that they are still kids. They still yearn for love and family. So, we can make a difference. I didn’t do this alone — we made a difference in Gabe’s life.”
Soto gave Gabriel a kiss on the forehead and took a seat.
Gabriel was one of 40 children who were adopted across Connecticut on Friday, CT Adoption Day. DCF spokesman Peter Yazbak said that around 350 children are expected to be adopted this year in Connecticut.
DCF Commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly joined the ceremonies in Torrington on Friday, with balloons, toys and cake to celebrate. Once Soto finished his comments, Hill-Lilly said a few words.
“What a tribute. I just personally want to say thank you for stepping up and doing what I consider to be God’s work,” Hill-Lilly said. Hill-Lilly urged other families to consider taking on a fostering role.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t say you too can be an adoptive or a foster parent,” Hill-Lilly said.
After the ceremony ended, Soto shared a little more of his journey to adopting Gabriel. As a gay man who wanted to be a dad, “for obvious reasons it wasn’t happening naturally.” So, he started considering fostering a child to adopt, and imagined a kid under 5 years old.
But then, DCF sent him Gabriel’s profile, a 9-year-old looking for a forever home. “I said why not? Let me give him a chance.”
There were challenges. Gabriel had a hard time building trust with Soto, and sometimes grated against his rules. Those, Soto said, are typical challenges with older kids. “But when that wall comes down, it’s a big wall.”
That wall started to come down when Soto attended an awards ceremony at Gabriel’s school. “He was able to count on someone to be there, and I think from there he started trusting — trusting that somebody could care,” Soto said.
Gabriel is still in contact with his biological family. His 4-year-old half-sibling, Elias, who had been adopted by another family, was also present at the event.
DCF has made a major effort in recent years to place children with relatives if they can’t remain with their birth parents. That means the number of children eligible for adoption to non-biological families has gone down. But there remains a bigger need for foster parents who are willing to serve as temporary placements for children who may need a home until they can return to their families.
Natalia Liriano, the director of foster care for DCF, said that many of the children who do need adoptive homes may be older children, or children with significant health issues. People can learn more about those kids by visiting the DCF Heart Gallery page.
“We’re talking about teenagers who can give you a run for your money but they still need love and they still are deserving of being in relationships, children with medically complex needs who need to be in longstanding relationships,” Liriano said.
Earlier on Friday, 1-year-old Corrina was adopted by mom Michelle Gonzalez. Corrina, dressed in a pink tutu, took to the courtroom like a massive play area. She batted at the heart-shaped balloons, smiled at reporters, enjoyed bites of cake, and hugged her mom when it all got to be too much.
When the ceremony was over, Richard Federico, a judicial marshall walked through the court room, taking in the happy faces and tutu-clad toddler.
“This is probably the best thing to happen here,” he said.
Connecticut
Connecticut man dies after being struck by SUV while crossing busy N.J. highway, police say
A 64-year-old Connecticut man died this week after he was struck by a car while crossing a busy Monmouth County roadway earlier this month, authorities said.
The man, identified Friday as Niantic resident Michael Losacano, was hit shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 on State Highway 35 in Wall Township near Wall Church Road, according to a statement from the Wall Township Police Department.
Losacano was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center by local EMS where he died on Monday, the department said.
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