Bridgeport PD Can't Confirm 12-Year-Old Was Driving Stolen Car: UPDATE

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Bridgeport police backtracked Thursday and said the department "cannot confirm" that a 12-year-old was the driver of a stolen vehicle that crashed at the intersection of Railroad and Hancock avenues in Bridgeport on Tuesday.

"The Bridgeport Police investigation at this time cannot confirm if the 12-year-old was the operator of the vehicle," said Scott Appleby, the city's Director of Emergency Management, in a statement. "Party may have been an occupant. Party remains in critical condition, and our thoughts and prayers are for a full recovery."

In a release on Wednesday, Bridgeport police said a 12-year-old was hospitalized after crashing a gray, 2016 Kia Soul that had been reported stolen earlier on Tuesday.

The child had been taken privately to Bridgeport Hospital after the 9:30 p.m. crash, but after evaluation, the child was transferred to Yale New Haven Hospital for further treatment.

The Soul crashed into a United Illuminating utility pole, heavily damaging it, and by the time police and fire personnel arrived, the vehicle had been abandoned.

See also: 2-Year-Old Child Who Died After Crash Identified, New Details Released: Police

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Staff from the city's Emergency Operations Center began calling around to area hospitals to find out if any patients had arrived suffering from injuries from crashes, and that was when they discovered the 12-year-old had been, according to Bridgeport Police Sgt. Darryl Wilson.

The case remains under investigation, and Bridgeport police ask that anyone with any information about the incident contact Officer Eroildo Quiles at 475-422-6141, or leave a tip on the department's Tip Line at 203-576-TIPS.