Hamden driver charged in pizza truck hit-and-run

Connecticut State Police arrested a Hamden man in connection with a motor vehicle crash involving a pizza oven truck on Interstate 91 in Cromwell last month.

Marcos Gomez, 25, was charged Sunday with evading responsibility, reckless driving, illegal operation of a motor vehicle without the minimum insurance and

failure to drive in a proper lane, state police said Monday. He was also charged with following too closely and improper use of a marker, registration or license.

Troopers said Gomez turned himself in around 8:20 p.m. at Troop H in Hartford after learning of a warrant for his arrest. He was released on $20,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Middletown Superior Court on May 31.

“The Connecticut State Police would like to thank our media partners for circulating the image of the evading vehicle operator and getting our message out to the public,” the agency said. “Many thanks to everyone who shared our social media posts about the investigation and for the many tips received, helping Troopers bring this case to a successful conclusion.”

The crash took place April 23 around 4:20 p.m. on Interstate 91 in Cromwell, according to a report from state police.

State police said a vintage International Harvester KB-5 truck operated by the Big Green Truck pizza company in New Haven was traveling north in the rightmost lane of the highway while a 2005 Toyota Scion was speeding in the leftmost lane.

The Scion “crossed all lanes of traffic” and collided with the rear end of the pizza truck, according to a crash report from state police.

The driver of the pizza truck, a 25-year-old Hamden man, and a passenger, a 32-year-old man Hamden man, reported minor injuries. The two were taken to the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain, the report stated.

Police noted in the affidavit that, while arriving to the crash scene, they saw a man — later identified as Gomez — walking on the left shoulder of the highway. Police said they were unable to safely stop Gomez at the time due to traffic conditions and the speed they were driving.

Police later believed the pedestrian was the driver of the Scion and used a dog to try to find Gomez. However, they were not succesful.

State police released a photo of the driver, which resulted in numerous tips identifying Gomez.

A fundraiser to help the Big Green Truck company rebuild its vehicle has so far raised over $29,000.

Gomez