State Trooper Injured During Wrong-Way Crash In Cromwell: State PD

CROMWELL, CT — Guy J. Raffles, 66, of Meriden, is accused of driving the wrong-way while under the influence when his vehicle crashed into a state police cruiser, state police said Saturday.

At 4:05 a.m. Saturday, troopers responded to Route 9 South in the area of Exit 19 in Cromwell for reports of a wrong way driver, state police said.

"An assigned State Police Cruiser made contact with the wrong-way vehicle as it was traveling northbound in the left lane of the southbound side," state police said.

State police said that the responding trooper saw the vehicle driving the wrong way at a "high rate of speed."

"Operator #1 (the state trooper) positioned vehicle #1 towards the center of the highway with his emergency lights activated in an attempt to slow or stop vehicle #2," state police said in an accident summary. "Vehicle #2 made contact with the front left corner of vehicle #1."

The accused stated he was not injured and was asked to perform a series of standardized field sobriety tests, which he failed to perform to standard, state police said. The state trooper was taken to a hospital for injuries sustained in the crash, state police said.

Raffles was taken into custody for operating under the influence of drugs/alcohol, state police said. He was transported, processed, and released at Troop H Hartford on a $5,000 bond. He was also charged with reckless driving and first-degree reckless endangerment.

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