Wrong-way driver charged with DUI after fleeing crash on I-384 in Manchester
A Manchester man was charged with a DUI after he fled a crash while driving on the wrong side of Interstate 384 on Thursday, according to the Connecticut State Police.
Police responded to I-384 West near Exit 4 in Manchester for a report of a vehicle driving off after a crash around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The vehicle was described as a gray pickup truck, and the caller gave police a Connecticut license plate number, state police said.
While investigating the crash, troopers were told the pickup truck had been driving in the wrong direction and crashed with a Toyota Camry.
Officers from the Manchester Police Department located a pickup truck matching the description on Candlewood Drive, about a half mile away from the crash site.
Police observed the driver of the truck exhibiting signs of impairment, state police said. The driver, identified as William Gerlack, 35, of Manchester, agreed to undergo field sobriety tests and failed them, state police said.
Police allegedly found Xanax pills while searching him, troopers said.
He was arrested and charged with driving the wrong way, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, possession of a controlled substance, evading a motor vehicle accident and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
He was released on a $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Jan. 3, 2023.
