Jogger Struck, Killed By Teen Driver Of Stolen Vehicle: Police

NEW BRITAIN, CT — A jogger was struck and killed by the 17-year-old driver of a stolen vehicle Tuesday night in New Britain, according to police.

The victim, a 53-year-old New Britain resident, was jogging on the sidewalk in the area of East Street and Belden Street around 7 p.m. He was struck by the driver of an Audi that police found was stolen out of Hartford, according to New Britain police Chief Christopher Chute.

The occupants of the stolen vehicle ran away from the scene, while the man suffered critical injuries, according to Chute. He was taken to an area hospital where he later died, Chute said.

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The 17-year-old driver was found hiding in a closet at his home on Wednesday and arrested, according to Chute. The juvenile, whose name wasn't released because of his age, was charged with first-degree assault, reckless driving and first-degree larceny by possession.

“The New Britain Police Department is thankful for all the tips received that led to the identification of the accused,” Chute wrote in a news release.

Chute noted that the teen is a repeat juvenile offender who has been arrested 13 times in the past three and a half years for charges including: assault with a knife, assault, possession of narcotics, reckless driving, evading responsibility, larceny (stolen motor vehicles), robbery and violation of probation.

Police are continuing to investigate and are looking for the second occupant of the stolen vehicle.

“This is a senseless tragedy,” Chute said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of the deceased.”

New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart called the tragedy a “complete failure” of the Connecticut juvenile justice system.

“And this is why,” Stewart wrote in a post on Twitter while sharing the news release. “Exactly why. Somebody’s life could’ve been saved but this was a complete failure of the Connecticut juvenile justice system, if you can say there even is one.”

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State Republican lawmakers announced Wednesday that they are calling for “immediate action on the juvenile crime crisis affecting communities throughout Connecticut.”

The caucus leadership is requesting a special legislative session to implement “long-overdue solutions.”

"To say that this issue has reached a boiling point would be a gross understatement,” House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said in a news release. “As residents have begun their own policing to protect their property and lives, and now with a loss of a life in New Britain, it should be clearer than ever to Democrats that the legislature must tackle this issue head-on as quickly as possible.

"I'm disappointed that the Democrats failed to take up any House Republican reforms and continue to leave unsolved problems in the hands of our local leaders, law enforcement and residents. Throughout session we heard cries for equity, yet Democrats continue to create an imbalance by completely ignoring the cries from victims of crime while advancing more privileges and protections for those committing the crimes."

Heading into the 2021 legislative session, addressing the state's juvenile car theft crisis was a top priority for House Republicans, according to a news release.

“The problem has grown more acute since the start of the year, including a suspect that rammed a state police cruiser in Tolland and headline-grabbing incidents where cars were stolen from their owners while young children were inside—and now, a pedestrian killed in New Britain after being struck by what police said was a stolen vehicle,” the news release states.

House Republicans said they introduced bills and amendments that included:

• Eliminating the statutory limit of six hours that a juvenile can be held in detention without an order from the court;
• Including the DCF in the investigation of family circumstances of a repeat offender charged with stealing a car or any offense involving a deadly weapon;
• Broadening criteria for a court to deem a juvenile a risk to public safety on a second offense instead of a third;
• Amending the model police pursuit policy to allow officers to pursue suspects stealing cars in certain circumstances;
• Evaluating the need for support services for the individual and/or family;

Republicans said Democrats rejected many of their measures, instead “focusing on creating a misdemeanor offense aimed at adults who entice juveniles to commit criminal acts, and another that would have the Judicial Branch study the feasibility of decreasing the amount of time between the arrest of a child and the initial court appearance.”

"Nobody serving in the legislature, and certainly nobody on the Republican side of the aisle, wakes up each day rooting for detentions and convictions, but the fact of the matter is that young people understand that they live in a state where they'll face few consequences for their criminal behavior," said Deputy Republican Leader Rosa Rebimbas, former Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee. "When a 17-year-old kid is arrested twice in two different stolen vehicles within five hours, it should have been clear to Democrats that we needed to act. Given today's news, that a 17-year-old with a rap sheet of serious crimes has been arrested in the New Britain case, it should be clearer than ever. Nibbling around the edges with studies, forums and platitudes isn't enough—people who live in the many communities affected by these crimes deserve meaningful action. Victims deserve solutions."