Man stole car, led two units on chase

CROMWELL — Police are continuing their search for a man they say stole a rental car and led officers from two departments on a chase before he crashed into a utility pole adjacent to Frisbie Park.

The man, identified as a thin, light-skinned black male, then fled on foot into the nearby woods and made his getaway despite the efforts of Cromwell and Middletown police.

A woman who was a passenger in the car also attempted to flee, but she was apprehended without incident by Middletown police.

Police say the string of incidents began early Thursday morning when the man allegedly stole a 2004 Buick from a service station in Meriden.

At approximately 8:45 a.m., a Cromwell police officer was dispatched to the McDonald’s at 30 Shunpike Road in an attempt to locate the stolen Buick, Police Chief Denise Lamontagne said in a statement Friday afternoon.

The officer located the car. But when he approached the vehicle, the driver backed into another vehicle then speed off, ignoring the officer’s commands to stop, Lamontagne said.

The suspect fled north on Shunpike Road “at a high rate of speed” before getting on Route 9 south and disappearing from the officer’s view, Lamontagne said.

Around 11:20 a.m., the car was observed traveling north on Route 9 in Middletown.

Middletown officers gave chase. The driver got off Route 9 at Exit 18, but as he came down the exit ramp, he struck the guardrail and crashed into a utility pole.

Portions of Main Street, South Street and River Road were closed off to traffic while police from Cromwell and Middletown attempted to establish a perimeter, according to the report.

Police canine units from the two departments were deployed in an effort “to track the suspect, but were ultimately unsuccessful in locating him,” Lamontagne said.

The suspect, estimated to be about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and last seen wearing a black shirt and blue pants, has been tentatively identified, Lamontagne said.

The police investigation is continuing.

Lamontagne ask witnesses to contact Cromwell police at 860-635-2256.