STRATFORD, Conn. — A state trooper was treated for injuries after police say an unlicensed driver struck his cruiser in Stratford early Monday and fled the scene.
Police said 55-year-old Jose Antonio Lopez Ortiz of Bridgeport was arrested about a quarter mile from the crash scene on Interstate 95 southbound near Exit 32.
Around 1 a.m. the state police cruiser was heading southbound and merging onto the shoulder to assist another driver after a crash.
The cruiser was struck by a Nissan Cube that was reversing and heading north on the southbound right shoulder of the highway.
The driver of the Nissan, Ortiz, then reportedly fled the scene and was stopped approximately one-quarter mile south of the crash location. Trooper Drew Smith complained of back, neck, and shoulder pain and he was taken to Bridgeport Hospital for treatment.
Both vehicles were towed from the scene.
Ortiz was charged with reckless endangerment 2nd degree, operating a motor vehicle without a license, unsafe backing and failure to insure a private motor vehicle. Ortiz was held on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
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Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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