Truck Crashes Into, Significantly Damages World War I Monument: Meriden PD

MERIDEN, CT — Police are actively investigating after a driver crashed into Meriden’s World War I monument / honor roll near the intersection of East Main and Broad Street on Thursday night and left the scene, according to Mayor Kevin Scarpati.

In a video posted to the city’s Facebook page, Scarpati said there are signs of a vehicle coming up off Broad Street onto the median and hitting the World War I monument and then taking off and evading the scene.

In an update, police said they were notified around 10 p.m. on Thursday regarding a possible accident at the site of the World War I monument at the intersection of Broad Street at East Main Street.

Officers found that the “City of Meriden’s World-War Roll of Honor” monument had been struck and knocked over completely causing significant damage, and the vehicle had left the scene, according to Lt. Darrin McKay.

McKay said officers found debris from what they believe was the evading vehicle that caused the damage. It was a portion of the headlight unit that was determined to belong to a Ford F150 that was manufactured between the years of 2018 to 2020, according to McKay.

“This would match the description of a vehicle which a witness saw leaving the scene of the accident heading southbound on Broad Street towards Wallingford just after the crash occurred,” McKay wrote in a news release. “The witness stated that the Ford F-150 was white in color and based upon the damage to the monument, the vehicle involved should have noticeable front end damage.

“At this time we have multiple detectives working on this investigation and they are out canvassing the area for any video(s) or still photographs which may have captured the suspect’s vehicle either prior to or after the crash.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jad Hadir at 203-630-6250.

To see photos of the damage, visit the city’s Facebook page here.