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The suspect, Nirav Patel of New Britain, passed a note to a teller demanding cash and left the bank with an undetermined amount of money just before 3 p.m. Friday, May 17, Fairfield Police said.
Fairfield Police Officers responded to the scene and immediately received information from witnesses that a silver sedan had fled out of the lot at a high rate of speed, causing a crash at the exit to Stop & Shop. The vehicle was then seen traveling east bound on Kings Highway Cutoff. Another witness then reported a vehicle with heavy front end damage had just entered I-95 southbound at Meadowbrook Road.
The Connecticut State Police, utilizing traffic cameras, observed a vehicle on the shoulder of I-95 southbound near exit 17 in Westport, police said The vehicle matched the description given by witnesses and appeared to have heavy front end damage. The vehicle was stopped on the shoulder and the operator appeared to be examining the damage to his vehicle, said police.
As responding Fairfield officers approached the area, the suspect returned to his vehicle and engaged officers in a short pursuit. The vehicle exited the highway at Exit 17 and crashed nearby in Westport on Route 136 at Ferry Lane.
The suspect then fled on foot and officers engaged him in a short foot pursuit, police said. The suspect was located near the I-95 southbound entrance ramp, after having crossed all lanes of travel on I-95, and was taken into custody with the assistance of the Westport Police Department.
Patel has been charged with second-degree robbery, fourth-degree larceny and first-degree reckless endangerment 1st Degree. He was additionally charged with evading responsibility of an accident, engaging in pursuit, reckless driving and failure to obey a traffic signal. Patel is currently being held on a $100,000 bond.
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