Driver Left Crash Scene, Refused To Stop: West Hartford Police

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A West Hartford man was arrested after police say he left the scene of a crash and refused to stop, even after a deflation device was used to flatten one of the vehicle’s tires. Police responded to the area of South Main Street at New Britain Avenue at about 10 a.m. on Monday on the report of a vehicle leaving the scene of an accident.

An officer spotted the suspect vehicle, a 2008 Infinity G35 with front-end damage, exiting I-84 East at Caya Avenue. The officer used a tire deflation device to flatten one of the tires as the vehicle fled across Prospect Avenue back onto I-84 East, according to the police report.

The vehicle was later located parked on Warrenton Avenue in Hartford near Sisson Avenue and was impounded, police said. A K-9 track for the driver was unsuccessful. Investigating officers eventually identified the driver as Jose Mercado, made numerous attempts to contact/locate him, and he later turned himself in at police headquarters, according to police.

Mercado, 27, of Oakwood Avenue in West Hartford, was arrested on charges of evading responsibility, operating a motor vehicle without a license, improper use of traffic control signals, interfering with officer, reckless driving and engaging police in pursuit. He was released on a $5,000 bond.

Pictured: Jose Mercado, 27, of West Hartford / via the West Hartford Police Department