Connecticut State Police

Man Suspected of Stealing Truck on I-84, Ramming Troopers Arrested

Connecticut state police
NBC Connecticut

State police have arrested a man who they said stole a truck and rammed two state police cruisers on Interstate 84 in Southbury Thursday morning. They said they made the arrest after a chase, the use of a stun gun, and some help from off-duty troopers and other drivers who stopped to help.

The incident started when troopers responded to I-84 East, near exit 13, just before 8 a.m. after receiving a report that a person was in the process of stealing a vehicle.

They were told that a passenger had jumped out of a vehicle on I-84 West, run across the highway to the eastbound side and stolen a construction worker’s personal truck.

State police identified the suspect as a 31-year-old man and said he kept going east, then intentionally rammed two occupied state police cruisers in the median. 

There was a foot pursuit for around 300 yards and state police said the man resisted troopers’ efforts to take him into custody, as well as the efforts of off-duty troopers and two other drivers who had stopped to assist. Police used a stun gun and took the suspect into custody. 

Two troopers were transported to an area hospital to be treated for minor injuries and the suspect was taken to a different hospital to be treated for minor injuries. 

The civilians who stopped to assist were not injured.

The man faces a slew of charges including second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, reckless driving, assault on an officer, first-degree reckless endangerment, and more. He is being held on a $1 million bond and is due in court on Friday.

Police said they stopped the driver of the initial vehicle the suspect was in and released the person. They have not arrested that driver, police said.

The Western District Major Crime Squad and the Collision Analysis Reconstruction Squad responded to assist in the investigation. The investigation is active and ongoing. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Troop A in Southbury at (203) 267-2200. 

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