Driver Now Has 2 DUI Cases After Hitting Vernon Cop Car: Report

VERNON, CT — A New Britain man already being sought for skipping a court date in a drunken driving case in his hometown rear-ended a Vernon police cruiser and then failed a sobriety test on Sunday, police said.

The unmarked Ford Crown Victoria was sitting at a red light at the intersection of Hartford Turnpike and Merline Road in Vernon at 8:46 p.m., according to a report. It was then rear-ended by a 2006 Toyota Highlander, police said.

The driver failed a series of field sobriety tests, according to a report. At first, he gave an officer a fake name, but police soon discovered he was 39-year-old New Britain resident Alfredo Hercules-Santos, who had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear for a drunken driving case out of New Britain, police said. A Hartford officer came in to serve as an interpreter.

Hercules-Santos also has a suspended license, records show.

He was then charged for driving under the influence in Vernon. He appeared in court on Monday and failed to post both the $2,500 bond for the Vernon charges and the $450 bond for the New Britain FTA warrant, court records indicate.

He is due back in Rockville Superior Court on Sept. 10 and was to appear for the New Britain case Tuesday, judicial system records show.

The cruiser was an "older" Crown Victoria, Vernon police said. The sedans are no longer being produced and Vernon has been replacing them with Ford sport utility vehicles made for police work. The unmarked car sustained minor damage, according to Vernon police.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

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