Car Thief May Have Caused Accident on Route 67

A man who is believed to have stolen a car may have caused a four-car accident that shut down a section of Route 67 in Oxford early Wednesday evening, police said.

Seymour police chased a man who they believe was driving a stolen car after the man refused their signals to pull over near the Starbucks on the Seymour/Oxford town line, Oxford Resident Trooper Sgt. Dan Semosky said. Police followed the man down Route 67 toward Oxford but quickly broke off the chase near the in Oxford, Semosky said.

The car sideswiped a vehicle in the parking lot at , police said, and then took off back toward Seymour. Police believe a different driver heading in the opposite direction slammed on his brakes in order to avoid the out-of-control driver who was fleeing police. That slamming of the brakes led to a chain reaction, causing a four-car pile up just before 5:30 p.m., police said.

Fire Chief Scott Pelletier and Oxford police Officer Luke Ramirez said none of the people involved in the accidents suffered major injuries. Their names were not immediately available Thursday evening as Ramirez was still working on the police report.

Emergency responders closed both lanes of Route 67 while cars were removed from the scene. 

Semosky said he had reports from eyewitnesses whom he knows who said Seymour police quickly broke off the chase and did so before the accidents. In the end, police did not catch the driver of the motor vehicle and the incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information can call the Oxford Resident Trooper’s Office at (203) 888-4353 or Seymour Police at (203) 888-2511.

Clarification: The car that was stolen was not a police car.