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Daniel O'Brien, 38, of Liberty in Sullivan County turned himself into Wilton Police on May 29, after getting out of prison in connection with the chase that continued into New York and ended in Carmel, in Putnam County, according to the Wilton Police Department.
The Connecticut incident began April 14, 2016, when Wilton police attempted to stop O'Brien on Route 7 in the area of Westport Road for erratic driving, said Lt. Robert Kluk.
O'Brien refused to pull over and engaged the officer in a pursuit, driving recklessly by trying to get the officer to hit the back of his vehicle by slamming on the brakes and then taking off again.
He led officers through Ridgefield and into Danbury getting on I-84 West going into New York, Kluk said.
Wilton officers ended the pursuit and New York State Police took up the chase. New York State police said that O’Brien proceeded onto local roads in Putnam County, “recklessly and at excessive speeds,” forcing at least one motorist off the road and narrowly avoiding several other vehicles while still being pursued by police.
According to police, O’Brien only stopped driving when he came to a stop after hitting a concrete curb on Route 6 in Carmel and was quickly surrounded by law enforcement authorities from several nearby jurisdictions. Instead of submitting to police, O’Brien reportedly charged at a deputy from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and wrestled with him until O’Brien was subdued and arrested.
O’Brien would reach a plea agreement with authorities to plead guilty to one count of reckless endangerment, a felony. He pleaded guilty to that charge in March 2017 and was sentenced to between one and three years in prison.
He now faces charges of reckless driving, speeding, failure to drive in a proper lane, reckless endangerment, and others.
O'Brien is being on $15,000 cash-only bond.
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