107 MPH Speeding, Tailgating Spree On I-84 In Vernon Leads To Arrest

VERNON, CT — A New York man is facing several criminal charges in connection with a passing and tailgating spree that reached 107 mph along a three-exit stretch of Interstate 84, state police said.

At 3:28 p.m. Friday, a state police sergeant was traveling east on I-84 in the area of Exits 64-65 in Vernon when he observed a gray Volvo sport utility vehicle pass his cruiser in the right lane at a high rate of speed, which was "clearly higher than the flow of traffic," according to an arrest report.

The sergeant transitioned to the left lane and began to accelerate in efforts to catch up to the Volvo, which was still be in the right lane, passing other traffic at a high rate of speed, according to an arrest report.

Meanwhile, two vehicles were stopped on the right shoulder with people standing outside, exposed to passing traffic, according to an arrest report.

The sergeant observed the Volvo abruptly change lanes when it came upon the pedestrians and, while approaching Exit 66, it began passing cars again at a high rate of speed, according to an arrest report. The Volvo then cut across to the left lane and began to accelerate at speeds registered at 107 mph, according to an arrest report.

Just prior to Exit 67, the Volvo was forced to slow down because of traffic and began tailgating the vehicle in front of it at approximately 80 mph. That vehicle eventually moved over and the Volvo hit speeds of 102 mph as it passed, according to an arrest report.

The sergeant was then able to pull over the Volvo, state police said.

The driver, identified as Abdullah Qureshi, 25, of New York City, claimed that he did not know why he was stopped and, when asked if he were aware of how fast he was driving, Qureshi explained that he "thought he was driving with the flow of traffic," according to an arrest report.

Qureshi was arrested and charged with reckless driving (greater than 85 mph), failure to slow down/move over for a non-emergency vehicle, failure to maintain the proper lane on a limited access highway and failure to drive at a reasonable distance apart, according to an arrest report.

Qureshi is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on April 8.