Groton police have arrested the driver of a fake police car that is outfitted with red and blue flashing lights and a siren who they say weaved recklessly in and out of traffic with a small child in the car, police said.
Carl E. Adams, 26, of Groton, is facing multiple charges including impersonating a police officer, risk of injury to a minor and multiple motor vehicle violations.
A police officer saw a green Honda CR-V equipped with red and blue emergency lights and a siren speeding recklessly in and out of traffic on Ford Hill Road in Groton and first thought it could be someone undercover. But when they heard the siren and there were no calls in the area, they knew something wasn't adding up.
The car did not have markings or license plates properly identifying it as an emergency vehicle, according to police.
The officer chased the car to see who it belonged to and determine whether it was a police or fire vehicle, but the driver sped off and the officer was unable to stop him, police said. The car was going 85 to 100 miles an hour, according to Groton Police Lt. John Varone.
On Monday, police released photo and video footage of the car captured from a school bus and it has blue and red strobe lights in the front and back of the car, police said on the Groton Police Department's Facebook page.
After police put out the news out that they are looking for the car, they received more reports from people who had also spotted the vehicle in Norwich and Waterford. The investigation revealed that the car was "operating in the same fashion in other towns."
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Police identified Adams as the driver and learned that he had a small child in his car with him "while driving in this dangerous manner," police said. His relationship to the child and the kid's exact age are unknown.
Police said social media and news coverage of the incidents helped them identify and track the driver in the county.