a day ago
CT man accused of speeding through traffic during graduation ceremony, crashing with child in car
A Bristol man faces charges for allegedly nearly striking multiple officers while speeding through a traffic detail on Thursday during the Southington High School graduation ceremony where police alleged that he drove over the curb and crashed into a fence with a child in the vehicle.
Police working the detail shortly after 8 p.m. had eastbound traffic stopped on Flanders Street when they saw the driver of a white Chevy Trailblazer go over the grassy median in the high school parking lot and cross the sidewalk, according to Capt. Nathan Boislard of the Southington Police Department. The driver then got onto Flanders Street and passed a row of stopped vehicles, Boislard said.
The driver continued toward police and sped up as officers were yelling for him to stop the vehicle, according to Boislard and dashcam video released from the incident. As the driver increased his speed he abruptly turned right on Annelise Avenue and drove over a curb before striking a fence and causing other unspecified damage, Boislard said. He then fled the area heading north.
According to Boislard, multiple officers had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck by the vehicle.
Boislard said information about the incident was relayed to patrol officers who were able to stop the driver on Queen Street. He was identified as 43-year-old Stephen Buckler of Bristol.
Officers found that there were two other adults in the vehicle, a teenager and a 6-year-old, according to Boislard.
Buckler was taken into custody and charged with risk of injury to child, first-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, evading responsibility and failure to drive in the proper lane. He was held on $50,000 bond and was expected to face a judge on Friday in New Britain Superior Court.
