Police: Driver struck vehicle while fleeing from Waterford officers
[naviga:img class="img-responsive" src="/Assets/news2015/0920DayCharland.JPG" alt="James P. Charland"/]
James P. Charland
Waterford — A Colchester man on Wednesday was charged for the second time in as many months with driving away from a traffic stop.
According to police, 48-year-old James P. Charland was driving “erratically” on Hartford Turnpike when officers attempted to pull him over about 5:50 p.m.
Police said Charland, instead of stopping, pulled an abrupt and illegal U-turn in his pickup truck, crossing over the median and heading the opposite direction. Charland allegedly ran a red light as he fled, striking another vehicle but failing to stop.
Officers stopped to attend to the struck vehicle — its occupants were uninjured — but watched as Charland turned in to a local business, police said.
Police said the officers later located the pickup, heavily damaged and unoccupied. They did not say where it was found.
Town police, aided by East Lyme and state police, began a search of the area. Two K-9 teams — one from Waterford, the other state police — deployed to track the suspect. Other officers established a perimeter in the area.
According to police, officers found Charland in the wooded area between Hartford Turnpike and Vauxhall Street Extension. Officers also located two juveniles, who were unharmed, police said.
Police charged Charland with failure to drive in the proper lane, improper turn, disobeying the signal of an officer, reckless driving, evading responsibility, risk of injury to a minor, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs with a child passenger, interfering with an officer, carrying weapons in a vehicle and failure to obey a traffic control signal.
In September, Charland was arrested in East Lyme after he allegedly stopped his red pickup truck for police but then drove off, taking three minor passengers with him.
Records show Charland posted a $10,000 bond in that case.
In this case, police said Charland was held on a $50,000 bond and was due Thursday in New London Superior Court.
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