Suspect in Fatal Bridgeport Crash Found Hiding in Basement: Police

A woman is dead after a driver fleeing from Bridgeport police crashed into her vehicle on Thursday and police said they found the suspect hiding in a basement blocks away from the scene.

State troopers were conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 95 just before 1 p.m. and attempted to stop a black Infiniti, but the driver fled, got off the highway and onto South Avenue, police said.

The state trooper saw the Infiniti crash into a blue car at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Iranistan Avenue, police said and the woman who had been driving the blue car died from her injuries.

The victim has been identified as 63-year-old Susan A. Tomczk of Bridgeport.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Joseph Guzman-Rivera, of Bridgeport, fled while officers rushed to help the woman in the car, according to police.

After the initial impact, police said Guzman-Rivera car hit two pedestrians, including one who might have been on a bicycle. Both are expected to be OK, but one pedestrian lost a foot, according to officials. 

Guzman-Rivera was later found hiding in a basement on Lewis Street in Bridgeport, two blocks away from the scene. Police said he was there for around 40 minutes and did not know the residents.

Guzman-Rivera physically assaulted K9 Nero while he was being taken into custody, according to police who said he was found with heroin, crack cocaine and powder cocaine. 

Guzman-Rivera was transported to Bridgeport Hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the crash, then he was transported to Troop G-Bridgeport where he was charged with three counts of possession of narcotics, three counts of possession of narcotics with intent to sell, three counts of possession of narcotics with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school, illegal injuring of a police service animal and second-degree burglary. 

He was held on $500,000 bond and is due in court on Sept. 11.

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