CT state trooper suspended following arrest tied to Christmas Day car crash

A state police trooper has had his police powers suspended following his arrest in connection with a serious crash he was involved in while on duty in Clinton on Christmas Day last year.

A spokesperson for Connecticut State Police confirmed Tuesday Trooper Daniel Barrera has been placed on administrative duty with pay following his arrest by the Clinton Police Department on Monday.

The arrest stems from a multi-car crash reported in Clinton on Dec. 25, 2022, at about 6 p.m. on West Main and Hull Streets. Responding officers found a crash involving an on-duty state trooper in a Ford Taurus and a Toyota RAV4 that had rolled over, according to Clinton police.

Early investigations into the crash revealed the trooper was traveling west on West Main Street while responding to an emergency call. The Toyota was traveling south on Hull Street and was making a left turn when the crash happened, police said.

Barrera and the other driver involved were both taken to an area hospital following the collision. A passenger of the Toyota RAV4 sustained serious, life-threatening injuries in the crash, according to police.

Barrera had been back on duty for about nine months following the accident.

A spokesperson for Clinton police on Tuesday did not immediately respond to a request for more information on Barrera’s arrest.