By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — Two people walking on a sidewalk along Imperial Avenue were in critical condition after being struck by an SUV that veered off the road about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Deputy Police Chief David Farrell said Tuesday night that the incident, near Post Road East, involved significant injuries. The injured people were attended to by first responders, including police, firefighters and EMS workers before being taken to Norwalk Hospital.

The incident appeared to involve a Mercedes GL-Class SUV, which was at the scene for several hours before being towed to Police Headquarters.

“The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators,” Farrell wrote in a press release. “Preliminary findings indicate the vehicle was traveling north on Imperial Avenue when it veered off the road and struck the pedestrians on the sidewalk.”

Police Chief Foti Koskinas, speaking in place of his two deputy chiefs at the Board of Finance that night told its members, “We had a terrible accident on Imperial Avenue, two pedestrians were struck.”

Two lanes of Post Road East, and Imperial Avenue from the Post Road to Thomas Street, were closed to traffic until a little after 8:30 p.m. as police investigated.

Numerous officers were at the scene investigating, including members of the Westport and Fairfield police department accident investigation teams.

“They are conducting a thorough examination of the scene and collecting evidence to determine the cause of the crash,” Farrell said.

The SUV was a black, four-door Mercedes. It had damage to front passenger side, the windshield was cracked inward, and the front passenger side tire was hanging from an exposed rim. The Mercedes grill emblem was missing.

Investigators several times asked pedestrians to keep back as a scanning device on a tripod, moved between various positions, did its work.

A woman passing by the scene told the Westport Journal she witnessed the incident, but didn’t know anyone had been struck. She said a car was sitting on Imperial Avenue, clogging up traffic, before shooting forward and crashing.

“I saw something flying,” she said. “I thought it was a garbage can.”

Westport police ask that anyone who witnessed the incident call Detective Erin Shaw at 203-341-6023.

Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 36 years. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.