Driver Cited in East Putnam Accident

[Update, 12:01 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22]

A teenager was reportedly issued an infraction for causing a serious three-car crash on Thursday on East Putnam Avenue in Cos Cob that resulted in two motorists being transported to the hospital.

According to Greenwich Police Lt. Kraig Gray, officers cited Peter Machinist, 19, of 8 Lauder Way, with unsafe lane change.

Gray said Machinist was traveling west on East Putnam Avenue in the right lane when he came up behind a bus that had stopped. When Machinist switched lanes to avoid the bus, his car struck a vehicle in the left lane. The force of the collision caused that vehicle to cross the yellow line and collide head-on with an oncoming vehicle, Gray said. The crash involved a Toyota SUV, a BMW sedan and a Volvo, however, the police report did not indicate which vehicle Machinist was driving, Gray said.

Machinist was not injured, however, the two female drivers in the other two vehicles were transported to and Stamford hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Gray did not identify the other drivers.

For a short time, the four-lane East Putnam Avenue was closed to traffic and then reopened to one lane of travel in each direction for nearly an hour as emergency personnel investigated and cleaned up an extensive debris field, Gray said. The accident occurred in front of the Allstate Insurance office at 424 E. Putnam Ave.

[Original Report, 12:01 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19]

At least one motorist was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries following a three-car accident that occurred at about 9:45 a.m., Thursday, on East Putnam Avenue in Cos Cob, near .

The accident closed both soutbound lanes for about an hour as investigated and first responders cleared debris from the roadway. For a brief period a news helicopter flew overhead.

Two vehicles ended up on the southbound side of the roadway, facing in the wrong direction, coming to rest directly in front of a storefront at 424 E. Putnam Avenue.

Police directed southbound traffic around the accident, using one of the northbound lanes. The accident was cleared and southbound lanes reopened at about 10:45 a.m.

Greenwich Patch will have more details when they become available.