CROMWELL, Conn. — A New Britain man is accused of going to extreme lengths to escape a trooper on Route 9 in Cromwell early Friday morning, according to a release from Connecticut State Police.
State police say Derell Aponte, 24, was arrested and is charged with reckless driving greater than 85 mph, unsafe backing, disobeying the signal of an officer, driving the wrong way on a divided highway and first-degree reckless endangerment.
Around 2:37 a.m. on Sept. 13, a trooper assigned to Troop H in Hartford was observing traffic on Interstate 91 northbound near Exit 21 in Cromwell when he saw a gray Honda Civic with a Connecticut registration driving at a speed greater than the traffic flow.
According to state police, the trooper clocked the Honda at a speed of around 111mph in a posted 65mph zone. When the trooper attempted to catch up to the Honda, the driver allegedly turned off the vehicle’s headlights and taillights and began accelerating and changing lanes in an “erratic manner.”
State police say that when the trooper initiated a traffic stop by activating their cruiser’s emergency lights and sirens, the Honda stopped, pulled into the right shoulder of the roadway and began backing down the I-91 north Exit 22 entrance ramp from Route 9 north, traveling in the wrong direction in attempt to elude the trooper.
For the purpose of safety, the trooper stopped pursuing the Honda as it drove in reverse down the shoulder of the entrance ramp out of sight. State police say troopers responded to Route 9 quickly but did not locate the Honda at that time.
The trooper did, however, observe the license plate on the Honda and learned it was connected to a New Britain address. Troopers traveled to that address and did not find the vehicle but contacted the registered owner, who said the Honda was being used by Aponte. The owner of the Honda called Aponte, who then agreed to meet with troopers.
According to state police, Aponte arrived at the Honda owner’s address and allegedly admitted he was driving the vehicle when he attempted to elude the trooper. Aponte was taken into custody, processed and charged.
He was later released on a $20,000 cash/surety bond and is scheduled for arraignment at Middletown Superior Court on Oct. 4.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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