Dropped cake creates bizarre twist of fate
Toolbox
By Susan Smallheer Staff Writer - Published: April 12, 2009
HARTFORD — A dropped piece of cake led to a bizarre twist of fate for a Brownsville man Friday.
Vermont State Police said a Montreal woman dropped a piece of cake while driving and ran into a car parked by the side of Interstate 89.
As a result, the parked driver landed in the hospital with a fractured spine and was charged with drunken driving.
John Delgado, 46, of Brownsville was parked in the breakdown lane of southbound Interstate 89 Friday afternoon when his vehicle was struck from behind by a car driven by Adriane Porcin, 26, of Montreal.
State Police said Porcin told them she veered off the traveled lane of the interstate because she had dropped the piece of cake she was eating and had reached to pick it up, taking her eyes off the road.
Delgado had run out of gas, police said, and was sitting in his 2000 Suzuki when Porcin's 2008 Hyundai ran into his vehicle.
Delgado suffered a thoracic spine fracture, fractured ribs and a concussion, police said.
Porcin had cuts and bruises and declined medical treatment.
Delgado was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center by Hartford Emergency Services.
A hospital supervisor Saturday said she could not disclose his condition citing patient confidentiality rules and Delgado's own request.
Vermont State Police Senior Trooper Paul Feeney said during an investigation police determined that Delgado was intoxicated.
Feeney said Delgado had told them he had run out of gas.
Feeney said that if someone is behind the wheel of a vehicle that is on a public road and is found to be intoxicated, that driver can be charged with drunken driving. The key doesn't have to be in the ignition, Feeney said, but the person must be behind the wheel.
"The car doesn't have to be in motion for someone to be charged with DWI," Feeney said.
Feeney said he didn't believe that Delgado was paralyzed in the accident, despite having his spine fractured.
Both vehicles were destroyed in the accident. Porcin was given a traffic ticket for failure to maintain her lane of travel.
Trooper Erik McNeice also investigated the crash.
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