Windsor Man in Car That Narrowly Missed Cop at Vernon Bowling Alley Hit Employee Earlier: Report

VERNON, CT — A passenger in a car that almost rammed into a Vernon police cruiser over the weekend at a local bowling alley has been charged with assault for hitting an employee of the business with his vehicle earlier in the morning, police said on Wednesday.

The incidents took place at around 2 a.m. Saturday, according to police records.

The latest report related to the incident shows that Peter Reale, 23, of 9 Cleary Lane Windsor, has been charged with third-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving and evading responsibility, according to an arrest report.

At 1:54 a.m. Saturday, an Vernon police officer was at the Spare Time bowling center, 350 Talcottville Road, to investigate a report about an employee being hit by a car, according to an arrest report. The suspect car was parked in the lot, but the driver was not present, according to an arrest report.

At 2:19 a.m., the officer was in his cruiser in the parking lot and saw a 2013 Hyundai Elantra swerve across both northbound lanes of Talcottville Road (state Route 83) and into the lot, according to an arrest report.

The car then took a "wide turn" and began heading toward the police cruiser, according to an arrest report.

The officer had to put the cruiser in reverse to avoid being hit, according to an arrest report. The Hyundai then pulled next to Reale's vehicle and the driver, identified as Ferdando Lopez, 23, of Regent St., Hartford, turned on his hazard lights, according to an arrest report. Reale was in that car, police said.

Lopez then failed a standardized field sobriety test and was charged with driving under the influence and a turn signal violation, according to an arrest report.

Lopez is due in court on March 20 after posting a $500 bond, according to an arrest report.

Reale posted a $10,000 bond and has a court date of March 21, according to an arrest report.

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