By Hilda Munoz and David Owens
The Hartford Courant

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A veteran New Haven police sergeant was killed late Tuesday and another officer was critically injured when their patrol cars collided as they responded to a domestic violence call, city officials said.

Sgt. Dario "Scott" Aponte, a 17-year veteran and father of four, died of injuries from the crash, police spokesman Officer Joseph Avery said. Aponte's wife is also a New Haven police officer, officials said.

Officer Diane Gonzalez, a 13-year veteran who was in the other patrol car, remained at Yale New Haven Hospital, where her condition was "very critical," New Haven Mayor John DeStefano said in a prepared statement today. Gonzalez has three children and one grandchild, officials said.

The officers were dispatched at 11:23 p.m. to a domestic violence complaint at 53 Maltby St., where a man was beating a woman as her children watched. The crash occurred at 11:27 p.m.

"Are they coming," the caller to 911 asked the police dispatcher as she watched the man beat the woman. "He's going to kill her." The screams of the victim and her children and a man yelling are audible on a recording of the 911 call police released.

"They're coming. They're coming," the dispatcher responds.

The officers' cars collided at Chapel and East streets. A third vehicle was involved, but information was not immediately available about that driver and whether that person was injured, Avery said.

When police did reach Maltby Street, the man and woman involved in the dispute refused to cooperate with officers, police said. No arrest was made. State police are investigating the crash.

Aponte joined the department in November 1991 and was promoted to detective in April 2004. He worked in the crime scene unit until his promotion to sergeant in July 25, when he switched to the overnight patrol shift.

New Haven has lost several police officers in the past few years, including Officer Dan Picagli in 2006 and Officer Robert Fumiatti in 2007.

Picagli, 38, was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle while directing traffic at a construction site on Oct. 21, 2006.

Fumiatti, 35, died on Jan. 10, 2007, of a heart condition four years after he was shot in the face during a 2002 drug raid. Arnold Bell, who was convicted of assault in the shooting, was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Another department veteran, Officer George Smith, died while off duty on Nov. 26, 2006. Smith, 56, had been a member of the department since 1978.

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