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Driver With No Headlights Leads Darien Police On Low-Speed Chase

DARIEN, Conn. – A Flushing, N.Y., man on his way back from a casino trip was cited after police said he led them on a low-speed pursuit onto I-95 in Darien last week.

Darien police said a man driving at a low speed with no headlights would not pull over for police as they followed him last week.

Darien police said a man driving at a low speed with no headlights would not pull over for police as they followed him last week.

Photo Credit: File

At 3:52 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, an officer saw a black Dodge Caliber with a New York registration parked on the Post Road in front of Grieb’s Pharmacy. 

The officer pulled alongside the car and saw an Asian male driver, who waved to the officer and then put the car in gear and began driving along the shoulder of Post Road at a slow speed with no headlights on, police said.

The officer activated his lights and siren to stop the car, but it continued traveling on Post Road at about 15 mph before turning left onto I-95 North, police said. The driver continued northbound at about 30 mph while the officer continued to follow it with lights and sirens activated, police said.

At one point, the car signaled to enter the service plaza on I-95 and came to a stop momentarily, before it re-entered the highway and continued traveling between 30 and 40 mph, according to police.

Under department policy, the officer ended the pursuit and got off the highway at Exit 13, advising Norwalk police and State Police of the car, which continued north without headlights, police said.

About 45 minutes later, another officer on patrol saw the car again going through Darien on Post Road without headlights, police said. This time it was stopped on Post Road near the entrance to I-95 North, police said.

There was a significant language barrier, but it was determined that the 37-year-old driver was traveling back from a trip to the casino and had been arguing with a female friend over money she had lost, police said. He said he had seen the lights and sirens, but he had just gotten his driver's license and did not know he had to pull over, police said.

The man was issued infractions for disobeying the signal of an officer, failure to display headlights and traveling at an unsafe speed. He was allowed to drive away from the scene.

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