VERNON — A Stamford man was arrested Thursday night after leading police on a high-speed chase on Interstate 84 that began in Massachusetts and ended when Connecticut State Police used stop sticks to disable his vehicle.
Jeffrey Lauture, 39, was taken into custody without injury after his black Nissan Frontier pickup truck was boxed in by troopers in the HOV lane near exit 65 in Vernon at approximately 8:11 p.m. Thursday.
The incident began when Massachusetts State Police advised Connecticut State Police Troop C-Tolland that the pickup truck had engaged troopers in pursuit on I-84 westbound before entering Connecticut.
Massachusetts troopers disengaged their pursuit when the vehicle crossed into Connecticut, but Troop C began receiving 911 calls reporting erratic driving by the same vehicle.
A Connecticut trooper spotted the vehicle traveling below the speed limit while failing to maintain its lane between exits 69 and 68 in Tolland.
When the trooper activated emergency lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop, the driver accelerated to speeds exceeding 90 mph.
The trooper disengaged pursuit and deactivated emergency equipment, but other units were positioned further west on I-84 in Vernon.
A trooper positioned on the left shoulder successfully deployed stop sticks near exit 65, deflating the vehicle’s tires.
As the vehicle slowed, troopers boxed it in within the HOV lane, but the driver collided with a concrete jersey barrier and attempted to escape by driving into the grass center median before coming to a complete stop.
A search of Lauture’s vehicle led to the discovery of a loaded handgun with a high-capacity magazine, which was seized as evidence.
Lauture was charged with reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit, evading responsibility, failure to maintain proper lane, operating without a license, illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, illegal possession of a large capacity magazine, interfering with an officer, criminal possession of a pistol and first-degree reckless endangerment.
He was held on $500,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Rockville Superior Court on Friday.
