Man caught after driving wrong-way on I-91; hit 6 vehicles

A man who drove the wrong way on Interstate 91, crashed into six other vehicles and led police in a multi-town pursuit was apprehended, state police said. A man who drove the wrong way on Interstate 91, crashed into six other vehicles and led police in a multi-town pursuit was apprehended, state police said. Photo: Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Man caught after driving wrong-way on I-91; hit 6 vehicles 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN — A man who drove the wrong way on Interstate 91, crashed into six other vehicles and led police in a multi-town pursuit was apprehended, state police said in a release.

The incident began just after 5 p.m. when the New Haven Police Department contacted State Police Troop I in Bethany and Troop G in Bridgeport to report the erratic operation of a black Honda that had temporary registration, the release said. Witnesses reported that the vehicle was seen driving the wrong way, heading northbound on Interstate 91 southbound, the release said.

The vehicle traveled from the New Haven area into the Wallingford area, the release said. “Troopers saturated the vicinity in an attempt to make contact with the operator... and “in a suspected attempt to evade responding” to New Haven and state police officers, the operator of the black Honda was observed by witnesses correcting his direction to drive southbound on I-91 from the Wallingford area, the release said.

The accused operator collided with at least three state police cruisers and three civilian vehicles, the release said. Minor injuries were reported and one victim was taken to the hospital for evaluation of suspected injuries, the release said.

“Through a collaborative effort, the suspect was apprehended and taken into custody by New Haven Police Officers” as he is a suspect in “several burglaries throughout the city,” the release said.

Stan Capp of Wallingford was driving on I-91 southbound in North Haven near Exit 12 when he saw the wrong-way driver.

“He wasn’t going very fast,” Capp said. “But for a second, I was like, ‘Jesus, what’s going to happen’”

Capp and other drivers who were headed southbound on the highway pulled off to the right shoulder of the highway.

“He looked very calm,” Capp said later, recalling the expression of the the wrong way driver. “He had both hands on the steering wheel.”