Interstate 95 Car Chase Passes Through Darien

In a car chase that began in Westport, passed through Darien along Interstate 95 and ended up in Port Chester, NY, in the wee hours Monday morning, two males escaped and two police vehicles were damaged.

Darien police were among the agencies assisting during the chase, according to police in Westport.

The incident began at about 12:27 a.m. in Westport when Officer Steve Pritchard, on routine patrol, spotted two males in hooded sweatshirts. He saw that one was carrying a pry bar as the pair walked in front of stores at 877 Post Rd. East.

As Pritchard turned into the parking lot, the men ran around the building and entered a white Dodge mini-van with New York plates, according to Westport Police Capt. Sam Arciola. Later it was determined that the suspects had attempted to break into a business at that at that spot, Arciola said.

The van took off, attempting to elude Pritchard and another police officer as they made there way from the parking lot to I-95 southbound, Arciola said. The van refused to stop for police and continued southbound on I-95. During the pursuit, the getaway car intentionally struck Westport Police cruisers by turning into them, causing damage to two police vehicles, Arciola said.

The was assisted by Connecticut State Police and local police from Darien, Stamford, Greenwich and Port Chester, New York, where the Dodge van had crashed.

The suspects remained at large Monday afternoon and Westport police are continuing their investigation. Police are looking at the link between these suspects and two burglaries at of Westport in February.