Officer Accused in Hit & Run Crash
By MONICA BUCHANAN
Updated 11:30 PM EDT, Tue, Dec 15, 2009
It’s a story that seems to raise a few questions and a few eyebrows. In a NBC Connecticut exclusive, we uncover what appears to be questionable discipline against a New Haven police officer involved in a hit and crash in September.
NBC Connecticut obtained the 9-1-1 call made that night by driver Gerald Hughes of East Haven. In it, he tells the dispatcher he’s been rear-ended by the driver of a pickup truck that has left the scene. Throughout the call, Hughes details his pursuit of the hit and run driver that eventually ends on a Branford road a few miles away.
“I’ve got him boxed in. I’ve got him boxed in at a dead end,” said Hughes in the 9-1-1 call.
Turns out, the driver was New Haven police officer Steven Silk.
“He knew he hit me and he knew he was taking off,” Hughes said.
According to the accident report though, Silk was only given a verbal warning that night. There’s also no mention of the hit and run and no mention of the chase.
“If it was me, I think it would have been a different story, ya know? I’ll just leave it at that,” said Hughes.
Hughes says he had to have his entire rear bumper replaced and estimated the damage to have been around $1,600.
“I was under the understanding he would get a ticket. So as far as that goes, I don’t have any more comment,” said Hughes.
NBC Connecticut called the East Haven Police Department several times, but our calls were not returned. We also reached out to Officer Steven Silk, but didn’t hear back from him either.
First Published: Dec 15, 2009 10:03 PM EDT
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
