HARTFORD - A 34-year-old Hartford man, who appears to have been under the influence of heroin, barreled through a red light at Broad Street and Capitol Avenue this morning before knocking down a fire hydrant in front of The Hartford Courant headquarters and then crashing into a median, police said.
Witnesses told police that Noel Salaberrios of Hartford had run a red light while heading northbound on Broad Street, nearly hitting a pedestrian, and then lost control and crashed into a fire hydrant outside the Courant building. Salaberrios apparently swerved after hitting the fire hydrant and crashed into a median on Broad Street, where he was found by a police officer at about 9:30 a.m.
Police found Salaberrios unconscious, clutching two empty bags of heroin in a 2006 silver MINI Cooper. A needle was found on the console of the car.
Salaberrios was taken to Hartford Hospital. The Metropolitan District was at the scene this morning to retrieve the fire hydrant, which had flown into the bushes planted outside the Courant building.
