MONROE, CT — The driver involved in the serious crash at the roundabout on Monroe Turnpike, in which his Chevrolet Trax traveled off the roadway, down a hill and onto St. Jude Catholic Church’s property on July 13, turned himself in on a warrant earlier this week.
On Aug. 25, the 18-year-old Shelton man was charged with reckless driving, driving under suspension and driving the wrong way on a rotary. He was released on $5,000 bond and brought to court that morning.
At approximately 4:16 a.m. on July 13, police said the Chevrolet was traveling west on Route 110 when the SUV approached the roundabout, drove over the traffic island/median to its left, continued straight, went over the apron and center island, continuing to drive through the roundabout, while damaging multiple traffic signs.
The vehicle then drove over the curb, sidewalk and over a guardrail before coming to rest on St. Jude’s property.
The driver and his passenger, an 18-year-old Hamden woman, were treated by Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel at the scene and the woman was taken to Bridgeport Hospital with what police suspected to be a serious injury.
Opening the door to a second arrest
Police officers visited a home on Swendsen Drive Wednesday to deliver updated paperwork to a woman charged with failure to appear in court on charges stemming from a domestic incident the day before, when they wound up arresting her a second time, according to the report.
The 72-year-old woman was charged with disorderly conduct and violation of a protective order and released after posting seven percent of her $1,000 bond. She was scheduled to appear in court the next day.
At approximately 12:50 p.m., police said the officers met the woman’s husband at the door and were talking to him outside, when the woman came to the door and pushed it open forcefully, striking her husband in the arm with it, while pushing him forward.
Police said the man was standing directly in front of a clear paned door, but his wife shrugged and said she didn’t see him there. Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel checked the victim for injuries.
Traffic stop leads to forgery charges
A 26-year-old Monroe man, who allegedly used the left turn only lane to pass several vehicles in his black Cadillac Escalade and blow through a red light on Monroe Turnpike, near the Stop & Shop entrance, on July 7, turned himself in on a warrant for several charges Tuesday.
He was charged with second-degree forgery, third-degree forgery, interfering with an officer, operating a motor vehicle with a false marker plate, driving without insurance, driving with a suspended license and illegal use of a dealer plate.
He was released on $50,000 bond for a Sept. 3 court date.
On July 7, police said officers responding to the 9:19 a.m. complaint believed the license plate on the Escalade appeared to be fraudulent. The driver did not have a license on him, but officers recognized him from prior interactions, according to the report.
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles records showed he has a suspended driver’s license, police said, adding paperwork for his registration did not match the information on the vehicle.
“Our system showed the registration expired and was canceled out of Florida,” Lt. Kevin McKellick said Friday.
Monroe police contacted the law enforcement fusion center in Florida to check the license plate and determined it was fraudulent. Officers also learned the driver was pulled over in Georgia with the same plate, which those officers also identified as fraudulent.
Police said his insurance paperwork also appeared fraudulent, and the insurance company stated the policy number is not valid and there is no information for it, which the National insurance Crime Bureau confirmed.
“We contacted the Florida dealership the plate was issued from and they had no record of any such plate in their data base,” McKellick said.
When Monroe officers told the driver they had to tow his vehicle, police said he became angry, popped the hood and attempted to rip the battery out of the engine compartment, before locking the doors, taking the license plate and keys and walking home.
Because of this, officers were unable to conduct an inventory of the vehicle before towing it, police said. Officers had the Escalade towed and applied for the arrest warrant.
Police: Drunk driver backed into parked vehicle
A 29-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with DUI Tuesday night, after allegedly backing his Honda Civic into a parked vehicle at Tollgate Plaza, 838 Main St.
At approximately 7:25 p.m., multiple callers reported an erratic driver of a Honda Civic, who appeared unable to maintain his lane on Route 25, before turning into the parking lot.
Officers who found the Honda saw it back into a parked vehicle, according to police.
While speaking to the driver, police said officers detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle, and observed that his eyes were bloodshot and glossy.
He reportedly told officers he was on his way home from Danbury and that he had nothing to drink, but police said his speech was slurred and he eventually admitted to having two drinks.
He refused to participate in field sobriety tests at the scene and to do breath tests at headquarters, but police said they charged him with DUI and unsafe backing based on all of the other evidence.
He was released after posting seven percent of his $500 bond for a Sept. 9 court date.
Theft of a Ford Taurus
Fairfield police called the Monroe Police Department about a black Ford Taurus that fled from officers in their town early in the morning on Aug. 23, because the car was registered to a resident on Elm Street in Monroe.
While responding to the 3:20 a.m. call, a Monroe officer went to the car owner’s house to speak with him and soon learned the Ford Taurus had been stolen. Police determined the theft occurred about an hour-and-a-half earlier.
The Monroe resident told police he had 22 power tools inside his vehicle with a total value of $4,833. The case is being investigated by the Monroe Police Detective Division.
DUI on Elm Street
A 44-year-old Monroe man was charged with DUI and failure to maintain the established lane following a traffic stop in his 2013 Chevy Silverado on Elm Street on Aug. 16.
At approximately 1:47 a.m., an officer driving behind the Silverado as it headed north on Monroe Turnpike saw the truck drift over the center line several times, before turning left onto Elm Street and drifting over the center line again, according to police.
Police said the officer pulled the pickup truck over in the 300-block of Elm Street and while speaking to the driver smelled the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage from inside the vehicle, and noticed his eyes were bloodshot and glassy.
The man reportedly told the officer he had nothing to drink, but field sobriety tests were not performed to standard and he was placed under arrest, police said, adding he later refused further testing at headquarters.
He was released after posting seven percent of his $500 bond for a Sept. 2 court date.
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