State police share details about arrest, crash that resulted in injures to Stonington sergeant

STONINGTON, CT (WFSB) - Stonington police said a sergeant needed to be flown by helicopter to a hospital after his cruiser was struck by a vehicle back in February.

Police arrested David MacCracken, 52, of North Stonington, and charged him with reckless driving, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension, passing in a no passing zone, and failure to drive right.

According to an arrest warrant released on Monday, MacCracken was also charged with illegal operating of a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs/alcohol, possession of a controlled substance, and second-degree assault with a motor vehicle.

He turned himself in to state police on March 31. He was given a court date of April 14 in New London.

Before the incident on Feb. 20, police said they received an eyewitness report that said a driver blew through a red light on Route 184.

Sgt. Mario Ritacco was parked at a road job on Taugwonk Road. Police said he had been working on his day off at a traffic job to keep drivers and workers safe as crews installed new wiring along the road.

Police say MacCracken hit the parked cruiser, which hit Ritacco as he stood in front of it.

“Obviously it was something very serious, it was getting a lot of attention, lot of fire trucks, lots of police, everyone had a big sense of purpose when they were responding so I knew it was something bad,” said Deputy Chief Todd Olson, Stonington police.

Ritacco was transported to a Rhode Island Hospital by LifeStar emergency helicopter. Police officials said he was last listed in stable condition. However, state police described the injuries as “significant.”

“He is a veteran of Stonington Police Department. One of our best. We hope to have him back soon,” Olson said.

Police said their investigation revealed that MacCracken had been speeding before he got to the construction site. He struck Ritacco’s cruiser head-on. The cruiser ended up on top of the sergeant, the warrant stated.

Investigators said MacCraken smelled like alcohol immediately after the crash.

Hospital blood and urine records obtained through a search and seizure warrant revealed that MacCraken’s blood-alcohol level was .19, more than twice the legal limit of .08. The records also revealed traces of benzodiazepine, opiate, and cannabinoid in the suspect’s urine.

A background check showed that he also had a suspended license.

MacCraken was transported to an area hospital via ambulance after the crash.

The Stonington Police Department said the sergeant continues to recover. State police said the long-term affects of the incident on the sergeant remain unknown.

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