Crash Leads To Arrest Of Fairfield State's Attorney's Office Inspector

FAIRFIELD, CT — A 61-year-old Fairfield State’s Attorney’s Office Inspector was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging him with evading responsibility and failure to obey a traffic control signal, after authorities said he struck a teen bicyclist in Bridgeport and left the scene.

James Lawton, who is currently on administrative leave, is accused of striking the 17-year-old with his state-issued vehicle on July 11 on Main Street, as the cyclist was entering a crosswalk.

"The impact from the collision caused the operator of the bicycle, age 17, to fall to the ground," an official from the State's Attorney's Office wrote in a statement. "Lawton stopped and exited the vehicle, helped the victim pick up his damaged bicycle, and then left the scene."

The crash occurred at about 3 p.m., according to authorities, and about two minutes after helping the teen, Lawton returned to the area — the teen was now talking on his phone — and spoke briefly to the 17-year-old before leaving again.

"About an hour after the incident, the victim and his mother went to the Bridgeport Police Department to report the crash," officials wrote. "While at the department, paramedics treated the victim for minor injuries, and he was evaluated later at Bridgeport Hospital."

Lawton will be prosecuted by the New Britain State's Attorney's Christian Watson and her office; Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin transferred the investigation of the incident from the Bridgeport Police Department to New Britain to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

After the arrest, Lawton was released on a promise to appear in court on Aug. 29. Griffin reminds the public that the charges against Lawton are "merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."