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Rolando Garcia, 43, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, was arrested and faces multiple charges, including reckless endangerment, larceny of a motor vehicle, and resisting arrest, Connecticut State Police said.
The chaos began around 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, when Massachusetts State Police alerted Connecticut authorities that a stolen green 1999 Toyota Corolla had crossed the state line after fleeing from troopers. Connecticut State Police spotted the vehicle on I-91 and followed without lights or sirens to avoid escalating the situation, officials said.
The chase hit a dead end near Exit 10, where a crash had gridlocked traffic in all three lanes. Troopers saw an opening and attempted to box in Garcia before he reached the congestion. But he swerved around cruisers in a desperate attempt to escape, authorities said.
As troopers blocked all lanes, Garcia ignored commands to exit and instead rammed multiple stopped cars — including two state police cruisers — while trying to break free. A stop stick punctured a front tire, leaving the vehicle disabled near the median.
Garcia then made a run for it, but K-9 Nash was faster. The police dog chased him down, took him to the ground, and held him until troopers moved in, authorities said.
Garcia, who has a suspended license, was taken to a hospital for minor injuries before being booked into jail, police said. He remains held on a $150,000 bond.
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