Driver In Tolland County Pursuit Hit 104 MPH On Bare Rim: Warrant

TOLLAND COUNTY, CT — State police have made an arrest as part of an investigation into a multi-town pursuit two years ago that included a driver hitting 104 mph on a bare rim and nearly running over a state trooper moments before. The incident started in Massachusetts, circled through Tolland County and ended back across the border.

Scott Laliberte, 54, of Uxbridge, MA, was served a warrant for the Oct. 5, 2022 incident late last week. He has been charged with reckless driving, engaging police in a pursuit, disobeying the signal of an officer, evading responsibility, failure to maintain the proper lane, interfering with police, assault on a public safety officer and first-degree reckless endangerment.

The call to state police that day was originally regarding a vehicle damaging property on Springfield Road in Somers. It came at 12:24 p.m. What followed was a series of calls that allowed state police to track the fleeing Ford 150 pickup on Route 195 in Tolland.

At 12:30 p.m., a call from Anderson Automotive indicated the truck just passed and it was riding on a flat front passengerside tire, according to a warrant.

Nine minutes later, Tolland Fire Chief John Littell spotted the truck.

Two calls from Franc Motors followed the chief's call.

At 1:38 p.m. , state troopers caught up with the pickup at the junction of Route 74 and 32 in Willington, according to a warrant. It had a trail of smoke behind it, apparently from the tire rim, according to a warrant. The truck came back as being registered to Laliberte in Massachusetts, state police said.

After the truck stopped, a trooper asked the driver to partially roll down the window because a dark tint made him unidentifiable, according to a warrant. He partially complied but the window was damaged and only rolled down a short way, according to a warrant. Laliberte also refused to shut off the truck and when a trooper reached in to take the key out of the ignition, he sped away and the trooper narrowly escaped being run over, according to a warrant.

A pursuit on Route 32 reached speeds of 64 mph with the car still smoking while traveling on the bare rim, according to a warrant.

LaLiberty entered the eastbound side of Interstate 84 and reached speeds of between 85 mph and 104 mpg before the chase was broken off, according to a warrant.

He finally crashed near Exit 5 in Sturbridge after crossing back into Massachusetts.

During the mayhem, a call came in from Massachusetts authorities that Laliberte had been reported missing, according to a warrant.