Police confirm Maynard drove wrong way

State senator has not yet been interviewed about crash details

Waterford — Police confirmed Tuesday that state Sen. Andrew Maynard was driving the wrong way Thursday when he struck a car that was traveling north on Route 32.

Lt. Dave Burton said the accident was at first reported as a car into a ditch with air bag deployment.

He said police then discovered another car north of the accident scene that had been struck during the crash.

Burton said police have yet to interview Maynard, who was released from the hospital Monday. His attorney has said he suffered a concussion.

“This is no different than any other motor vehicle accident,” said Burton. “We have to ask both operators what happened. We know that a vehicle was traveling the wrong way. Why that happened? We can’t answer that yet.”

In an accident investigation, Burton said, police may apply for a search warrant to get a sample of a driver’s blood to determine whether he or she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs if the police at the scene or medical personnel suspect that the driver was intoxicated.

In Maynard’s accident, Burton said “we have not received any information” that would indicate he was intoxicated.

Burton said, however, that Maynard may offer his medical records to explain why the accident happened. He said health privacy laws prevent police from obtaining the records themselves.

Attorney Robert Reardon, whose firm is representing Maynard, said his client is under doctor’s orders for

bed rest.

“We are not in any way, shape or form trying to hide anything,” Reardon said. “He was knocked unconscious and sustained a severe concussion.”

He said he spoke Sunday to Maynard, who told him he did not remember the crash.

After suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2014 in a fall at his Stonington home, the Democratic senator was re-elected in the 18th district, representing the residents of Groton, Stonington, North Stonington, Preston, Griswold, Voluntown, Plainfield and Sterling.

He has declined all interview requests since his fall.

State Senate Democratic Caucus spokesman Adam Joseph previously has said that Maynard was cleared to drive at some point after his 2014 fall, but he did not clarify by whom or when that occurred.

In an email Tuesday, DMV spokesman William Seymour would not say whether Maynard has been the subject of the department’s medical review process in the past or if he will be in the future.

The department does “not comment on any specific medical review matters,” Seymour said.

He did, however, outline the DMV’s medical review process, which the department itself does not initiate.

Seymour said the process is triggered only when a police report, a report from a medical professional or an affidavit suggests that a person’s medical condition is affecting his or her ability to drive.

From there, the license holder is responsible for having medical professionals complete evaluation forms sent by the DMV. During that time, he or she may face a temporary withdrawal of driving privileges, Seymour said.

Members of the DMV — and, in some cases, a representative of the DMV’s Medical Advisory Board — then evaluate the completed forms and determine the best course of action.

Sometimes, Seymour said, a person’s license is withdrawn. Other times the person is asked to retake the knowledge and on- the- road skills tests required to become licensed.

In some cases, Seymour said, the DMV has asked drivers to obtain larger side mir- rors for their vehicles and to avoid driving after a specific time.

“Each case is handled on an individual basis and it is evaluated with an understanding of the specific circumstances involved,” Seymour said.

Reardon said he contacted police on Sunday for copies of preliminary reports and to coordinate a meeting when Maynard is able to meet, but has not heard back from police.

Burton said police would be contacting Maynard for a meeting as part of their investigation.

There was some initial confusion about which way Maynard’s car was traveling on Route 32.

Pietro Scelfo initially said his wife, Laury Benjamin-Scelfo, the driver of the other car involved, and Maynard were both traveling north.

But Scelfo later said Maynard was driving the wrong way, south in the northbound lane, when he drove his 2013 VW Passat into her Chevy Trailblazer. He said the confusion was because English is not his wife’s primary language.

The cars collided and Maynard’s car continued about 200 yards farther south before rolling down an embankment. Scelfo said his wife’s SUV was totaled. Maynard’s car also appears to be a total loss.

Shortly after the crash, police and state Senate Democratic Caucus spokesman Joseph said Maynard was involved in a one-car accident while returning from a caucus meeting at the state Capitol in Hartford.

But on Friday, police said Maynard was involved in a two-car crash.