Man Charged In Southington Wintertime Cop Chase

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A man involved in a wintertime high-speed chase in Southington has been charged, police said.

Ricky Beltran, 30, was served a Habeas warrant at Bristol Superior Court Thursday charging him with:

• Failure to slow or move over for emergency vehicles
• Passing in a no-passing Zone
• Improper passing
• Following too closely
• Traveling too fast for conditions
• Reckless driving
• Engaging police in pursuit
• Second-degree reckless endangerment

Beltran is currently incarcerated, police said.

According to a warrant, at 2 a.m. on Jan. 2, Beltran was operating a vehicle on North Main Street in the area High Street, in the vicinity of two marked Southington Police cruisers that were conducting a traffic stop involving a separate vehicle.

As Beltran’s vehicle approached the cruisers, it accelerated and came in "close proximity" to striking one of the cruisers, thus "causing a serious hazard," according to a warrant.

The vehicle then sped north on North Main Sreet at a high rate of speed and, at one point, passed a vehicle in a no-passing zone, according to a warrant.

An officer attempted to stop Beltran’s vehicle, but the chase had to be called off after it again sped off at a high rate of speed, according to a warrant.

The officer was able to obtain a registration number on the vehicle and Beltran was identified as the operator, according to a warrant.