State police charge New Britain man for allegedly fleeing traffic stop after almost hitting a trooper
A New Britain man who almost hit a Connecticut State Police trooper before fleeing a traffic stop in May was arrested Monday, according to state police.
State police arrested Christopher Nunez, 32, of New Britain in connection to an incident on Whitehead Highway on May 5 at around 3:30 p.m. A state trooper from Troop H in Hartford reported being nearly hit after a gray Toyota Highlander merged into the center lane from the right lane without signaling, according to an arrest warrant for Nunez.
The trooper said they had to turn on their emergency lights and siren to alert the driver of the SUV, later identified as Nunez, and avoid a crash. The Toyota then returned to its lane.
The trooper then attempted to pull over the Toyota and the SUV began to slow down to around 15 mph before accelerating, the warrant said. The Toyota continued down Interstate 91 south. The SUV then went around a white van and the trooper did not see the vehicle again. The trooper disengaged their lights and did not pursue the vehicle, the warrant said.
State police ran a registration check on the vehicle, which was registered to a woman on federal probation. The trooper received a call from the woman’s probation officer a few hours later stating that he was alerted when police ran the information. He said she had not contacted him about any interaction with police, as she had previously when her son was involved in an accident with the car.
The trooper spoke to the woman’s son the next day, who explained they rent the car out through Triple AP Car Rentals and the car was currently being rented. The rental agreement indicated that the car was being rented by Nunez, the warrant said.
The driver’s license number listed by Nunez on the rental paperwork did not match his license number, which was suspended. According to the warrant, his license photo in the DMV database matched the man that the trooper said he saw driving the Toyota before trying to stop the vehicle.
State police called the number listed on the rental agreement and a man picked up but said they had the wrong number before hanging up, the warrant said. Police then obtained a warrant for Nunez’s arrest.
On Monday, state troopers were notified that a person with an active state police warrant was in custody at the New Britain Police Station. Upon arrival, troopers identified the person as Nunez. Nunez was processed at Troop H and charged with engaging in a pursuit, operating with a suspended license, reckless driving, improper signaling and failure to operate within the established lane, according to state police.
He was released after posting a $2,500 cash bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Oct. 21.
