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Two separate wrong-way driving events in Connecticut over the weekend placed drivers on I-84 and Route 8 in danger and renewed calls for highway vigilance. The first involved a driver who needed medical care; the second ended with an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. As of April 27, 2026, no serious injuries had been reported in either case, but law enforcement officials said the outcome could easily have been worse.
At about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Connecticut State Police received reports of a car heading west in the eastbound lanes of I-84 near Exit 30 in Southington. Cellphone video later obtained by NBC Connecticut showed the vehicle with its hazard lights blinking as nearby drivers honked to try to get the motorist’s attention.
A timestamp on the video placed the encounter at 1:39 a.m. Troopers caught up with the vehicle near Exit 28 and had it towed from the travel lane. According to state police, the driver was not charged because she needed medical attention and was taken to a hospital. No collision occurred, and no other motorists were hurt.
State Trooper Stefanie Gurski said the episode illustrates that wrong-way drivers are not always under the influence. A medical emergency can produce the same kinds of errors, she noted. The distance the driver covered before being stopped showed how quickly a health situation can turn into a highway hazard. “The outcome was good, but it could have been very different,” Gurski said.
The next day, troopers in Torrington dealt with a second wrong-way report. Several 911 callers had spotted a driver going the wrong way on Route 8 before troopers could reach the area. By the time they arrived, the vehicle had crashed into another car.
No one was injured in that collision, state police said. The driver, Darwin Perez Toalongo, was taken into custody and later arrested for allegedly driving under the influence. The investigation is still ongoing, and additional charges are possible.
Gurski said the two incidents were a reminder that 911 calls work best when motorists can provide a clear location. Drivers who see a wrong-way vehicle should move to the side of the road and report it rather than trying to intervene.
Wrong-way collisions represent a small percentage of all crashes, but they cause a disproportionately high share of head-on highway deaths. The National Transportation Safety Board has repeatedly noted that alcohol impairment and older-driver confusion are common factors in these cases. Dark roadways and poorly marked ramps also play a role, which is why many states now pair traditional signs with electronic detection.
Connecticut has been expanding its response through the Department of Transportation’s wrong-way detection program. The state has installed 300 systems at ramps and interchanges across Connecticut. The systems use sensors to identify a vehicle moving toward traffic in the wrong direction and immediately alert police and activate warning signs.
Since the systems were activated in 2023, they have triggered more than 1,300 times. According to CT DOT, roughly 1,100 of those drivers recognized the warning and corrected course before they ever reached the highway. That kind of self-correction is exactly what safety officials hope to see.
Still, the technology does not prevent every case. State records show at least 88 wrong-way crashes have occurred in Connecticut since 2015. The weekend incidents show that human factors such as medical events and impairment can still slip past the safeguards.
Safety officials recommend a clear set of steps for anyone who encounters a wrong-way driver:
For drivers who fear they might enter a ramp the wrong way, state safety experts offer simple advice: stay sober, slow down, pay attention to signs, and avoid distractions. CT DOT has made the same point repeatedly in its public education campaigns.
As of April 27, 2026, no further updates had been released on the I-84 case, and the Route 8 crash remained a pending DUI matter. State police said both situations were handled without loss of life, but they should serve as a reminder that wrong-way driving is a danger that can appear without warning and demands an immediate, measured response.
