Coach Strikes Pedestrian With Car Following Dispute: Police

COLUMBIA, CT — A girls' youth basketball coach is accused of striking a pedestrian with his vehicle after a post-game argument Saturday at the Horace Porter School in Columbia, state police said.

Bryan Baez-Rivera, 29, of Willimantic, faces two counts of risk of injury to a minor, and one count each of second-degree breach of peace, second-degree assault, and second-degree reckless endangerment.

Police from Troop K in Colchester were summoned to the school Saturday around 11:23 a.m.

The victim, who police did not identify, was transported to an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries, police said.

The victim was standing in a lane on the school’s property at the time of the collision, and was conscious and able to be interviewed by police at the scene.

There had been a girls' youth basketball game at the school prior to the incident, police said.

The victim reported getting into an argument with the visiting team’s coach and then being struck intentionally by Baez-Rivera, police said.

A video released by police shows the victim going up onto the vehicle’s hood and then falling to the ground.

Baez-Rivera told police the individual got into a verbal altercation with him, then began chasing him on foot. Baez-Rivera reported that this individual walked in front of his path of travel and asserted to police that he was unable to avoid a collision, according to a news release.

Baez-Rivera told investigators that multiple people began to chase his vehicle, and he left the property out of concern for his safety and for the safety of his passengers, which included minor children.

Police said they reviewed surveillance footage and concluded that Baez-Rivera “appeared to make no attempt to avoid striking the victim.”

Baez-Rivera posted a $5,000 bond and is due to appear in Superior Court in Rockville on Jan. 23.