BRIDGEPORT - Police have identified Joseph Guzman-Rivera as the driver who they said took off after being stopped early Thursday afternoon in Bridgeport, leading to a fatal car crash.
Police said that at around 1 p.m., they stopped Guzman-Rivera on I-95. Police said he stopped in the lane and was instructed to move to the right shoulder, because it had no license plates. State police later confirmed that the vehicle is registered to Guzman-Rivera.
Guzman-Rivera then took off and exited the highway traveling onto South Avenue. Police said they saw his black Infiniti continue onto Railroad Avenue, where it hit a blue Toyota at the intersection of Railroad and Iranistan avenues.
Police said after he hit the Toyota, he continued on and hit two pedestrians, one possibly on a bicycle. The driver of the Toyota, who was a woman, was fatally injured. The pedestrians received non life-threatening injuries.
Police immediately rushed to the woman in the car before police got there and said her pulse was extremely low but it was too late.
"I tried to touch her but she didn't have much of a pulse," said Evelyn Santiago, a witness on the scene.
Santiago said the woman killed was a good friend and neighbor of hers for several years.
"I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it was her," said Santiago.
After crashing, Guzman-Rivera ran away and was found in a basement of a nearby house.
"Upon being apprehended by Connecticut State Troopers, Connecticut State Police K9 Nero and Bridgeport Police Officers, Guzman-Rivera physically assaulted K9 Nero. Guzman-Rivera was also found in possession of heroin, crack cocaine and powder cocaine," said police.
"It was a horrifying incident. I've never seen nothing like that," said Henry Lugo, also a witness.
Guzman-Rivera is 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 is being held on bail and is scheduled to appear at Bridgeport Superior Court on Friday.
Police haven't identified the woman who was killed.
