Stolen Vehicle Containing Child Crashes, Kills Operator: Windsor PD

WINDSOR, CT — A person who stole a vehicle containing a young child from St. Gabriel School Wednesday morning then robbed a nearby bank before fleeing on Route 159 and crashing, killing the operator, according to police.

The bizarre scenario began around 9:09 a.m., when police received a 911 call reporting a stolen vehicle from the parochial school on Bloomfield Ave., with a 17-month-old child in the back seat. Less than a minute later, a second 911 call was received reporting a robbery at the Windsor Federal Savings Bank at 250 Broad Street; shortly thereafter, a third emergency call came in reporting a single-car accident involving a car that struck a tree on Windsor Avenue near Hillcrest Road, Lt. Nicholas Dally said.

Police responded to all three locations, while fire and EMS personnel responded to the motor vehicle accident. As officers gathered information at each location, it became apparent that all three incidents were related, Dally said.

Investigation revealed a man stole the unattended vehicle from in front of the school, stopped and robbed the bank, then fled the scene before crashing into the tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene; his identity has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin, Dally said.

The child in the vehicle was awake and responsive at the crash site. The child's mother was brought to the scene and accompanied the child to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for evaluation and treatment, Dally said.

The North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Team is assisting with the accident portion of this investigation, which is ongoing.