A Ledyard police officer was injured and a cruiser wrecked after police said someone smashed into the back of it during a high-speed chase Sunday evening.
“As far as putting the public in danger, nobody signs up for that. We sign up and we know what the inherent dangers are,” said Ledyard Police Officer Bobby Kempke, who was one of the two officers involved in the incident.
Never did he expect a routine traffic stop to turn into a high-speed chase. Around 5:45 p.m., Kempke was stopping a black BMW in the area of Route 214 and Spicer Hill Road for not having a front license plate.
That driver took off, and according to Kempke, reached speeds between 85 and 100 miles per hour.
“He tried to hit me, ended up going around into somebody’s front yard damaging their fence, a light pole, then back onto the roadway,” Kempke described.
Police said his colleague, Officer Ryan Foster, took a position on Shewville Road near Route 2. That’s where Kempke said the driver seemed to deliberately crash into the cruiser, forcing it to spin around.
“He wasn’t stopping for us or anybody,” Kempke said.
Foster suffered a small cut and bruising to his face.
Eventually the driver stopped on a random home’s driveway on Mathewson Mill Road to check out his car, which was smoking, Kempke said. But after a brief conversation with the homeowner, he got back in and took off.
Kempke said considering the recklessness of the situation, it could have turned out much worse.
“That’s my partner. We’re a family and to think that what the outcome could have been is terrifying,” he said.
Ledyard Police are still looking for the driver and the black BMW. There’s a white decal on the back. Police said the vehicle should have damage to its front, right side. The driver appears to be male and was wearing a dark shirt with writing on it. Anyone with information is asked to call Ledyard Police at 860-464-6400.
