Driver in Crash That Killed Child, 4, Involved in Previous Police Chase

Police say Tyler O. Carey, 18, of East Haven, was behind the wheel of a stolen car when he crashed Sunday in Branford, which led to the death of a four-year-old Hamden child, Jarius Benjamin.

This isn’t Carey’s first case involving a stolen car and police pursuit on a Connecticut highway as an eerily similar incident played out in Westport and Fairfield this past June. In that Westport case, the stolen car, which Carey was inside of, also crashed after exiting the highway in Fairfield, just as Carey did while driving in Branford on Sunday night, police said.

According to Westport police, Carey was part of a trio of suspected car thieves arrested after they led authorities on a high-speed chase into Fairfield.

The incident began at about 3:20 a.m. back in June 2016 while Westport Police Officer James Loomer and K-9 Officer "Koda" were patrolling residential neighborhoods in the northwest section of Westport.

Loomer observed a black BMW that had been reported stolen the night before, and as he attempted to stop the vehicle, it drove out of the area at a high rate of speed.

A short time later, Westport Police Officer David Perez located the same stolen vehicle traveling on the Post Road West near Lincoln Street, and as police units attempted to stop the car on Saugatuck Avenue, it again fled and hopped onto I-95 northbound with Westport Police in pursuit.

"The pursuit continued until the suspect vehicle exited I-95 at exit 21 in Fairfield," wrote police in a statement. "The vehicle then crashed into a telephone pole at the bottom of the exit ramp. Pursuing Westport Police Officers quickly apprehended two individuals who were attempting to flee on foot."

Westport K-9 Officer Koda apprehended a third suspect who was running from the scene, but the operator of the vehicle fled the scene and is being sought.

Arrested were Tyler Carey, 18, and Denise Marquez, 19. The third suspect is a juvenile for whom police did not release any information.

Carey was additionally charged with Criminal Impersonation for allegedly giving police a fake name. Carey was also wanted out of Wilton for first-degree larceny.

The Recent Tragedy
East Haven police say Carey allegedly stole a car Sunday and refused to stop for police while driving with one child, three juveniles and a wanted felon in the vehicle.

The driver led officers on a brief pursuit, which was called off due to the driver’s extremely high rate of speed, nearly 2 miles before the suspect crashed head-on with another vehicle, which resulted in the death of a young child, police said.

On Sunday an East Haven police officer was conducting a routine patrol at 6:19 p.m. on Frontage Road when he noticed a white Toyota Corolla driving with no taillights, police said.

The officer followed the vehicle until it ran over a curb near 650 Main St. The officer then activated his emergency lights to signal a traffic stop, police said.

The driver refused to pull over and began driving at a very high rate of speed out of a restaurant parking lot, crossing two lanes of traffic, and entering I-95 Northbound, police said.

The officer pursued the vehicle until the vehicle was observed driving recklessly, at an extremely high rate of speed, near Exit 54 in Branford, police said. A superior officer ordered the officer to terminate the pursuit due to the speeds and danger to other motorists, police said.

The officer exited the highway at the next exit after terminating the pursuit and drove along Rt. 1 to return to East Haven, police said. As he drove on Rt. 1, he noticed smoke coming from the roadway and found that the vehicle he was previously pursuing had crashed head-on into a 2004 Honda Element, police said.

The driver of the Toyota and the five other occupants had exited the vehicle, police said. The driver fled into the woods and was tracked down by a police K-9, police said.

An investigation determined that four children younger than age 15 were in the Toyota at the time of the crash. One of the children, a 4-year-old boy from Hamden, had been sitting on the lap of another person at the time of the crash, police said.

The 4-year-old was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital with serious injuries. He later died at the hospital, police said. The other passengers were later located. A total of six people were inside the Toyota: four juveniles and two adults, police said.

What police believe may have led to the fatal accident
A preliminary investigation indicates that after the East Haven officer terminated the pursuit Carey allegedly exited the highway and may have panicked on Rt. 1 when he saw a Branford Police cruiser on patrol in the area, East Haven police said.

He allegedly tried to re-enter I-95 when he cut off another vehicle and crashed. A check of the Toyota determined that it had been stolen from New Haven, police said.

Patch Editor Al Branch contributed to this story.

Carey's photo via East Haven Police Department