Man Charged With Leading Police on Substance-Fed Pursuit [Update]

Correction appended.

A Stamford man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly leading Darien Police on a substance-fed chase down I-95 north.

John C. Romano, 37, was charged with engaging police in a pursuit, driving while under the influence of alcohol, and failure to drive right.

According to Capt. Fred Komm, police received a description of an SUV that had fled scene of an accident in Stamford around 10:19 p.m. 

When an officer encountered a vehicle that matched the description —a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee — at the exit 11 onramp, the driver, Romano, reportedly "took off" down I-95 north.

As the suspect weaved across multiple lanes in an "erratic manner," Komm said the officer pursued Romano down the interstate with the car's lights and siren on. His speed reportedly varied from 40 to 70 mph during the chase.

As the pursuit reached exit 14 in Norwalk, Komm said Romano slowed to a halt until he was boxed in by officers. He refused to leave the vehicle even at gunpoint, according to Komm, prompting officers to remove him forcibly and place him under arrest.

During the incident, Komm said officers detected a strong odor of alcohol on Romano and found paraphernalia consistent with heroin use on his person.

Romano, who claimed he did not know what was going on at the time of the incident, reportedly admitted to having used heroin earlier the day and to consuming beer, vodka, and muscle relaxants prior to the accident.

Romano posted a $500 bond and is set to appear in court May 26.

Correction: Police initially misidentified the suspect in Tuesday's chase during a briefing. Patch regrets the error.