Suspects in custody after stolen car tied to shots fired case strikes school bus in West Hartford
Two people are in custody after a stolen motor vehicle involved in a shots fired incident in Hartford on Monday was found by police in West Hartford, where it struck a school bus after authorities were able to blow out its tires during a pursuit.
The pursuit began after West Hartford officers spotted the vehicle, a Kia Sportage, and tried to conduct a motor vehicle stop but the driver refused to stop, according to Capt. Daniel Moffo of the West Hartford Police Department.
Moffo said officers had been made aware that the vehicle was involved in an incident involving shots that were fired in Hartford earlier in the day.
Officers deployed a tire deflation device that disabled the vehicle near the intersection of Farmington Avenue and Trout Brook Drive, where the Kia struck a school bus, according to Moffo. The driver of the bus was the only person on board.
The driver of the Kia and a passenger were apprehended following the collision, Moffo said. They have not been identified.
The bus driver and the suspects suffered injuries during the crash not believed to be life-threatening, according to Moffo.
Both suspects were turned over to Hartford police and members of an associated task force, Moffo said.
“The WHPD is committed to apprehending individuals posing an immediate danger to our community members as safely as possible,” Moffo said in a statement. “It’s incidents such as these that remind us how valuable partnerships between WHPD and HPD members can be.”
West Hartford police are still investigating the collision involving the school bus.
The crash left the intersection closed while emergency crews were at the scene.
Anyone with information has been asked to contact the West Hartford Police Department at 860-523-5203.
Information can be left anonymously at the WHPD Tip Line at 860-570-8969 or by email at whpdtips@westhartfordct.gov.