Police have arrested a 21-year-old Wallingford man they said was driving more than 150 miles per hour before a crash that injured three passengers.
Police said they found a cell phone recording one of Channing Cooney’s passengers took on May 27 and his speed exceeded 150 miles per hour on Interstate 91, before he traveled at a high rate of speed on Route 5 and turned onto Christian Street, where he crashed.
A Wallingford Police Department supervisor saw the car being driven erratically on Christian Street, turned his emergency lights on and tried to get Cooney to stop, but he accelerated and the supervisor did not pursue him, police said.
Cooney lost control of his vehicle in the area of Old Durham Road, hit a utility pole and then a group of trees, police said.
The speed before the impact has not been determined, but police said Cooney was driving well in excess of the posted 25 mph speed limit and his blood alcohol level was .19, more than two times the legal limit.
Cooney was charged with three counts of assault in the 2nd degree with a motor vehicle, driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, reckless driving, disregarding an officer’s signal and failure to drive in proper lane. He is free after posting $35,000 bond and is due in court on Aug. 16.
