Crime & Safety

Motorist Flees Motor Vehicle Stop, Leads Police On Chase In Portland: PD

The driver ran through red lights in an effort to evade officers, according to police.

Valeria Rodriguez-Velazquez
Valeria Rodriguez-Velazquez (Courtesy Portland Police Department)

PORTLAND, CT — A motorist is facing several charges after police say she fled a motor vehicle stop at a high rate of speed.

Police said an officer pulled over a black Honda Accord Sunday around 1:14 p.m. on Main Street. The officer checked the vehicle’s registration and learned the license plate belonged to a Toyota Sienna.

As the officer approached the vehicle, the driver fled north on Main Street and went through two red traffic lights, police said.

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The officer followed the vehicle and advised dispatch and other officers of the situation.

Another officer deployed stop sticks to disable the car near Main Street and Strongs Avenue, police said.

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The driver, identified as Valeria Rodriguez-Velazquez, 23, of Meriden, was arrested on more than a dozen charges. They include engaging police in pursuit, reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, interfering with an officer, traveling unreasonably fast, and first-degree reckless endangerment.

Rodriguez-Velazquez is also charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle, failure to drive in the proper lane, operating without minimum insurance, improper use of marker registration, and disobeying traffic control signals.

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