NORWICH — A vehicle fleeing from a police pursuit collided head-on with another car at a red light early Sunday, killing one person.
A Norwich police officer initiated a traffic stop on a suspected intoxicated driver around 2:15 a.m. The officer noticed the driver traveling erratically while passing down West Thames Street.
The driver failed to stop for the officer, hitting the gas and speeding away in a deliberate attempt to avoid apprehension. A brief pursuit of the vehicle and its two occupants blasted through the downtown area of Norwich.
As the suspects passed through the intersection of Route 2 eastbound and Route 12, their vehicle struck the curbing on the eastbound travel lane and forced them into a spin. As they careened out of control, their vehicle subsequently struck an oncoming vehicle head-on in the westbound lane.
The two occupants of the westbound vehicle that was struck were immediately transported to William W. Backus Hospital for their injuries. Doctors were unable to save one of the victims, who was pronounced deceased not long after arriving at the hospital.
The suspects in the fleeing vehicle were also injured and transported to William W. Backus Hospital for treatment.
The Norwich Police Department has launched a criminal investigation into the occupants of the fleeing vehicle. Investigators say they have recovered evidence from the crash scene. Charges are expected to be filed relative to the death of the other vehicle’s occupant and the failure to stop for an officer, as well as for other crimes committed in the process of escaping.
Route 2 was closed to traffic in that area through most of Sunday morning. The Connecticut State Police collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad (C.A.R.S.) was responsible for the initial stages of the investigation, under the direction of the New London County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact the Norwich Police Department as soon as possible.
