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Monday, September 9, 2013

CITY EMPLOYEE AND CITY VEHICLE IN DUI CRASH

 
This is not a posting I look forward to posting, but in a sense of fairness, I think I have to. Both Rhonda and her husband are friends of mine. Please keep them both in your thoughts a they work through this difficult time, as well as the victim of the crash for a speedy and full recovery
 
 
FROM HPD:

At 9:30 pm Patrol units were dispatched to the area of Farmington Ave and Prospect Ave on a report of a head-on motor vehicle collision with a person trapped within one of the vehicles. One of the drivers appeared unconscious, but soon thereafter awoke. HFD arrived on scene and extricated the occupant due to the severity of the damage.  She was transported to St. Francis Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The second vehicle was a 2012 Ford Escape, owned by the City of Hartford. The operator had signs of intoxication, therefore; HPD Traffic DUI Enforcement responded and assisted in the DUI investigation.  CSD responded and processed the scene.  Both vehicles sustained extensive damage.  Preliminary investigation revealed that the Ford Escape was traveling south on Prospect Ave, and veered off into oncoming traffic, ultimately colliding head on with the vehicle traveling northbound. That vehicle crashed into a parked Jeep along the east curb line.  

The operator of the Ford Escape was formally charged with several motor vehicle violations, as well as DUI.  

Rhonda Moniz-Carroll   (Refused medical attention) City of Hartford-DPW
54 Cone St, Hartford CT


Charges:  DUI & Failure to Travel in the Proper Lane  Vehicle: 2012 Ford Escape   (Owned by City of Hartford) CT 240HFD  (Totaled)  

Other operator: Female from Hartford (Transported to St. Francis Hospital;  ankle injury & concussion Stable)

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pray tell, what does this woman need a take home vehicle for?

Anonymous said...

You blast everyone else but when your friend endangers the life of innocent people, uses a city car for inappropriate reasons, DRIVES DRUNK, and you want us to pray for her?!? This is going to cost the city a fortune and someone could have been killed. So much worse than Jared and half the other stuff on here!

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Where do you see "pray" anywhere in that post. And I didn't have to post anything but in a sense of fairness I did, keep hating though , it makes for interesting comments

Anonymous said...

How many other people have take home cars, and why? I hope they are being taxed on them as non cash compensation as required by the IRS.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

I doubt anyone is reporting the use or benefit of a city car, I will FOI the information though. I believe the cars for law enforcement use though ate exempt from that reporting requirement

Anonymous said...

Brookman,

You need to get a life

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Anonymous at 12:41,

Are you a fool? Like no one would have known about this if I didn't post it, it was all over the television news all weekend and even the Coirant had it

Anonymous said...

There's nothing wrong with a little prayer. So I pray for all involved. First, I pray for the victim, for a full and speedy recovery. I also, pray for the DPW employee Rhonda, that this accident would force her to get the help she needs. I also pray the leaders of the City of Hartford,would make the necessary changes that are needed in the vehicle policy. And finally, I pray for justice. Amen. Nothing wrong with a little bit of prayer. Peace to all.

Anonymous said...

WE WANT JUSTICE. AND A DRUG TEST ON ANYONE WHO TAKES CITY VEHICLES HOME. FREE RHONDA







Anonymous said...

Rhonda has several EEOC/CHRO complaints against her and the city...keeep digging and you will see that she had a habit of being mean/abusive to subordinates and drank on the job.

DUI Checkpoint Leader said...

Please keep in mind that Rhonda is not the first to allegedly drive a City Vehicle while under the influence. I think there is a Police lieutenant that has wrecked 3 city cars on RT 2 while drunk. After the third one I am told he finally saw the light and got help and is now sober. Why should Rhonda be treated differently? Maybe this is the wake up call she needs to get help also

Designated Driver Needed said...

what about the night Mayor Segarra showed up at the Maple Mews Condos after they flooded last year, reeking of alcohol and slurring his speech, he had just come from a cocktail party in Elizabeth Park. The residents he spoke with commented he was drunk. What's good for one should be good for all

Anonymous said...

Gee, does Rhonda have a P-Card too? Is she arrogant enough to pay her bar tab with city $$$?
First off, why does she "need" a city vehicle?
Second, how stupid is she to take a city car out boozing on a Saturday night?
Third, FIRE HER ASS! I would have some mercy if it was her personal vehicle. However, if she is that stupid to take her city issued car out drinking she does not deserve her city job!
Friend of yours or not Brookman, she is wrong and has to go. Step up Pedro, crack that whip!

Anonymous said...

Tip of the iceberg
I guess my comments don't get published. What ? Hitting to close to home. I could start am avalanche with what l know.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Anonymous 4:48 PM, Please explain to me her friendship with me is influencing anything as to the outcome of this mess? I have my friends based on a lot of reasons, and not who they are. I have not condoned Rhonda's actions and I never will but I know her as a human being and we all have faults and I will not throw her under the bus now either. It is the type of thing you never want to say to a friend, but if there are issues here, such as an alcohol problem, she needs to decide on her own to face it and get help. The support of her friends and family will be important if she chooses to go that route. I was the first one, along with Bruce Rubenstein to go to her home Saturday night and notify her husband what had happened. I have never wished ill will or bad things on anyone that has been the subject of negative blog postings. All that I ask for whether it is Jared Kupiec, Eddie Perez or Rhoda Carroll is accountability for their actions and fairness in those actions. Rhonda made a terrible decision and will pay the price. I hope those in judgement can honestly ask themselves if they have ever driven their City vehicle after drinking maybe a little too much, and that old saying" but for the grace of God" it could have been them veering over the center line. We are all human. but this is not only about Rhonda, this is about an innocent victim who is still in critical care in ICU at the hospital as of the time I post this. That is where the focus and thoughts should be now for here recovery.

Anonymous said...

Fact is your tone and tenor are very different in this case than any other time you have faced similar bad judgement. She's your friend and you are treating her humanely but you gave no such understanding to Jared or Dave or others. Don't be mad at people being honest with you, just hear the concern and try to open your mind to the possibility that you are playing favorites

Anonymous said...

This is why journalists don't make friends with people in City Hall, Kevin. You have to decide whether you want to be a power broker or a journalist. If it is the latter, you need to stop being friends with people in the corridors of power and accept outsider status. If you want to be a power broker, then by all means, let your personal ties with people get in the way of how you cover major stories. It is not lost on your audience that you were there but waited more than 24 hours to post something on this mess.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Everything I get gets posted, might be easier to track with a name other than anonymous

Anonymous said...


Sorry to hear that your friend Rhonda is in trouble, speedy recovery to her and to the victim in ICU. If any ones needs the Lord's help is her, as her life is about to change for the rest of her life. Rhonda, you live and learn, and mostly the hard way. Rule #1, never Drink and Drive. Now, let's hope that the victim does a quick recovery. And, last, that Pedro can deal with this matter, fair and square.

If she had issues before, she is in for a long ride, It's bad enough when it is your own vehicle, but reckoning the City car that's another story. But when there is innocent victims involve that changes everything. Now both the City car and the victims car has to be replaced at the taxpayers expense, along with the Law suit that will be coming down the line.

I am not sure as to why, all of a sudden all department heads needs to take home their cars. The more privileges they get the more abuse there is. There was no need for her to drive the City car, if she wasn't doing City business.

The City's poorly run administration is to blame for giving out to many privileges. Perhaps department heads should leave their cars at the lot; like they used to do back in the days. These accidents are costing us the taxpayers extra dollars. And it's just so unfair.

This year is one for the records, and we still have three month left. What starts wrong, ends wrong.

AND Hartford has it?????

Anonymous said...

Looks like Rhonda has the same alcohol issue that her brother has/had. And to put her behind the wheel of a city car?

Anonymous said...

Now that Segarra has personally fired her, I'm sure someone will read the Charter and find out he actually doesn't have the authority to fire a deputy department head.

Anonymous said...

Suggest GPS technology be employed to monitor use all all vehicles provided to employees to travel between work and home. Given the technology it should be fairly simple establish after hour use of all vehicles.

Anonymous said...

Everything I get is NOT posted... you sir are not being truthful I have posted several things in which I suggested that while you provide a service to the community you also have an agenda, and those comments never say the light of day!!!

Anonymous said...

Tip of the iceberg
A lot this issue goes her boss, Public Works Director, he and Rhonda go way back when he was a sidewalk inspector and she a secretary. During this time she was Union President and he Vice President it was evident to him that she had abuse problems even during this time. He turned a blind eye to this growing or constant problem. Now he gets to skate with her dominance being gone he looks good to everyone else except for the real people in the know. I know he doesn't drive his city vehicle back to East Hampton every day. He will be exposed later.

Ernie said...

Kevin: Can you please post the arrest report as soon as it becomes available?

cathy carbone said...

This is a horrible situation...all the way around...the city..the taxpayers...and honestly...our objective blog author is also showing some element of favoritism...drinking is wrong while driving...no matter whose car it is in...and especially when one is driving an employer vehicle...the mayor had no choice but to fire the employee...any employee who performs in this fashion...

Anonymous said...

This will carry a significant cost to the taxpayers. The city is self insured to a certain dollar limit, which means, they pay out of pocket for small claims or until they reach a certain threshold, where normally, regular insurance would kick in. I say normally because the insurance won't cover a claim when the employee was driving impaired.

Maybe this official can do a classy thing and make restitution to both the city and the person she hit. If she truly wants to make amends for her poor judgement, this would be a good start.

Anonymous said...

Those of us city employees who were around when she was first hired know that it wasn't her professional work credentials that got her the job.

Sometimes its not what you know but who you know.

Anonymous said...

How is it that Kevin Brookman and Bruce Rubenstein knew about the accident before the husband, and were the ones to break the news to him?

Normally don't the cops or the perp themselves notify the spouse?

Anonymous said...

What is the real story here?

http://www.courant.com/videogallery/77341157/Possibly-More-Than-DUI-Charge-Led-To-Firing-Of-City-Supervisor

Anonymous said...

Why is it Rhonda has been fired so quickly and Borges is still working for the city? When is Pedro going to wake up and get rid of her? Borges is a greedy, self-serving, corrupt scumbag, she needs to get the hell out of Hartford.

Menotell said...


Yes, I believe that Pedro was quick to fired the last two City staff, his quick decision will haunt him down the road. He should have fired Kupiec and Borges a long time ago.

Pedro has no sense of directions, he is getting bad advice by his best Friend COO Borges.

Do you think that she is going to cut her own wrist??, I don't think so, she is just playing Pedro. Borges is Pedro's main adviser.

Borges, has her own hidden agenda, and she is going to be around until the end of the term. Unless the Attorney General rules on her misconduct. Pedro is part of the problem, he continues to protect her, he is going to go down with her if he continues to cover up for her.

Borges should quit while ahead of the game before all her secrets are made public; and prevent the City another big embarrassment. Borges and Pedro both knows that she has violated a lot of the city rules as well as the attorneys code of ethics rules.

Anonymous said...

That karma thing came back to bite her in the ass. The circumstances are unfortunate and thank goodness no one was killed. This was not her first time behind the wheel while under the influence. Did the police search the vehicle after? If they had, they probably would of found more than they bargained for. Deputy director or not, this woman has serious substance abuse issues and should be put into a program for a long time. I am sure DPW employees past and present who have been subjected to her horrible treatment are breathing a sigh of relief.

Anonymous said...

U ARE LACKING CREDIBILITY,

POST EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE HPD MUG SHOT, YOU DID IT TO JARED AND MARIA AND MANY OTHERS. MAN UP.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Maria who? I suggest you start a blog and chase whatever you want and post whatever you want.

Can you handle the truth? said...

Kevin, I don't remember a Maria either; nevertheless, you were too harsh with the other ones: Eddie Perez, Susan McMullen, Jared Kupiec, Dave Panagore etc... She is your friend, but her actions could have killed many and is going to cost the City lots of money... All is being asked for is that you be objective and treat it like it is. Had these been the actions of Eddie or Dave you would have made so many nasty comments; but is your friend so let's be nice this time? Where is the objectivity you want City Hall officials to display? I know you are not a city official but you did run for political job, do we want someone like you to represent the voice of the people when you cannot treat everyone equally?

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Enough of the self righteousness, As long as I am the one maintaining this blog, I will choose how and what I post. Do you call television stations or the Courant telling them they are too harsh or too easy on topics they report on? I had no obligation to post any of this yet I did, and the comparisons to Jared or others Jared was a punk who had no business or commitment to public service and was here for a paycheck, Rhonda was one of the hardest working City employees I know who made a terrible decision. And yes she was wrong, but Jared couldn't hold a candle to her commitment to her neighbors and constituents . This report was not readily available and was not freely distributed to the media, I actually had to make an FOI request to the PD to get it

If you don't like the way I handle things or don't like the content, please feel free to click on that red X in the upper right corner of your screen

Anonymous said...

As l read more and more about this situation it is becoming more obvious of the arrogance of this individual. Thankfully this will be the end of the story but l don't think so. This lady holds many secrets about this administration and all the players. As l stated before with Jared Kupiec gone other department heads will be exposed. This is only the tip of the iceberg. The Titanic will sink with all passengers aboard. To be continued.

Dont you know who I am said...

All city hall employees should take weekly drug and alcohol tests.

Anonymous said...

I don't quite get the comparison here with jared kupiec?
Jared was a passenger in an accident downtown. Is there another accident anyone can verify?
There is absolutely no comparison to Rhonda crashing a city vehicle blasted and jared being a passenger in a vehicle.
And another thing, at least jared resigned and publicly admitted his wrong doing.