Greenwich Man Drove On Tire Rim On I-95; Charged With DUI, Reckless Driving: CSP

GREENWICH, CT — A Greenwich man who was reportedly driving "all over the road" on I-95 with a missing tire was arrested late Saturday night after a brief pursuit, according to the Connecticut State Police.

The arrestee, age 28, was charged with reckless driving; disobeying the signal of an officer; illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs; failure to maintain proper lane; and operating a motor vehicle with unsafe tires, state police said in a news release.

On Feb. 1 at approximately 11:05 p.m., Troop-G in Bridgeport received a complaint of a vehicle northbound on I-95 near Exit 5 in Greenwich that was missing a tire and driving erratically, state police said.

The vehicle left the highway at Exit 6, and was seen by a state trooper getting back on the southbound side near Exit 5, state police said.

"The Trooper observed that the vehicle was in fact missing a tire as it was emitting large plumes of smoke while in motion, the operator was failing to maintain their lane and traveling under 30 mph," state police said, noting a traffic stop was initiated.

The vehicle did not stop for emergency lights as it left the highway at Exit 4 and re-entered I-95 northbound, state police said, adding the vehicle reached speeds of up to 70 mph.

Responding Troopers were eventually able to box the vehicle in near Exit 5 northbound, state police said.

While speaking with the arrestee, police said he showed signs of impairment such as bloodshot eyes, poor coordination, and the odor of alcohol was present, state police noted, saying it became apparent the man "was unaware that he was driving on a rim."

The arrestee admitted to Troopers he had consumed alcohol and smoked cannabis before driving, state police said in a news release, and the man subsequently agreed to and failed field sobriety testing.

According to state police, the man's blood alcohol content was "in excess of the legal limit," but an exact measurement was not provided.

The man was later released on a $2,500 bond, and he's scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Feb. 24.