25-04-2025
CT man accused of sideswiping vehicle on I-291, nearly striking multiple people as he fled the scene
A man faces charges for allegedly sideswiping someone on Interstate 291 in Hartford last May before taking off and nearly hitting a dozen people, including multiple troopers, who were outside of their vehicles and on foot while the highway was shut down for an unrelated incident.
Andrew J. Bobey, 30, of New London was arrested Wednesday when members of the Town of Groton Police Department pulled him over around 9:40 p.m. and found that state police had a warrant out for his arrest, according to the Connecticut State Police. He was charged with reckless driving, evading responsibility involving property damage, improper passing, failure to drive in the proper lane, following too closely resulting in an accident and first-degree reckless endangerment.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the charges stem from a crash and multiple near-misses on May 17, 2024, as state police had I-291 shut down in the area of Interstate 91 in connection with an unspecified investigation.
A motorist who was headed west on I-291 toward the I-91 North on-ramp told police they stopped when they saw brake lights, as traffic in front of them was stopped. As the driver stopped, they alleged that the driver of a black Nissan Altima came from behind and sideswiped the driver's side of their vehicle, the warrant affidavit said. Both vehicles pulled into the shoulder before the Altima driver reportedly took off down the ramp, according to the warrant affidavit. The driver who remained at the scene did not report any injuries.
A state police sergeant who was on foot in connection with the unrelated investigation spotted the Altima moving in and out of lanes and tried to direct the driver to stop on the shoulder, according to the warrant affidavit. State police allege the Altima driver instead accelerated and nearly hit the sergeant before swerving across two lanes, almost striking a group of people who were also on foot on the shutdown highway, the warrant affidavit said. This included six troopers, three military members and two civilians.
The Altima then nearly hit a police cruiser before taking off, the warrant affidavit said.
The owner of the Altima contacted the Manchester Police Department the next morning and said her vehicle had been stolen the night before and smashed up, according to the warrant affidavit. She identified the individual who was driving as Bobey, state police wrote.
The woman claimed that she was not home when Bobey asked her in the afternoon hours where her spare keys were, as he said he needed something from her vehicle, the warrant affidavit said. When she came home around 6:30 p.m., the vehicle was no longer in the driveway, she told police. She tried texting and calling Bobey several times, but he allegedly would not answer, the warrant affidavit said.
Hours later he came home and the woman alleged that she could tell he had been drinking by his speech and the way he was wobbling, according to the warrant affidavit. Bobey allegedly told the woman he had gone to a friend's home and that, afterward, he needed to 'evade some heat,' the warrant affidavit said.
The next morning, the woman claimed that she went out to her car and found that the passenger side was smashed and it 'would not drive,' the warrant affidavit said. She also claimed one of the doors would not open.
When the woman called Manchester police she learned the car had been 'ran multiple times' and was involved in an incident with state troopers, the warrant affidavit said. She was encouraged to contact the state police. She later gave a statement to troopers.
Bobey was held on a $75,000 bond following his arrest and was expected to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Thursday.
