Connecticut man accused of dragging officer by door after racing

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — A Connecticut man is accused of drag racing and then pulling a state trooper who tried to stop him along the road, authorities said Saturday.

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Nathan Delvalle, 18, of Ansonia, was arrested and charged with violating motor vehicle racing requirements, reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, engaging police in pursuit, illegally striking an officer with a motor vehicle, illegal racing on a highway, interfering with officer/resisting arrest, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree reckless endangerment, Connecticut State Police Trooper Preston Zdrojeski told The Middletown Press.

Troopers with the state police were investigating a large group of cars that had gathered in the towns of Cromwell and Middletown at about 12:40 a.m. EST on Saturday, WTNH-TV reported. Troopers followed the group to a Department of Transportation commuter lot and observed them racing against one another, according to the television station.

Troopers placed stop sticks in the road to prevent the drivers from fleeing, Zdrojeski told the Press.

“The accused who was seated in his vehicle in the lot was approached by troopers and was given verbal commands to stop and shut off his vehicle, which he disregarded,” Zdrojeski told the newspaper. “Troopers then grabbed ahold of the driver’s side door handle and again instructed the accused to stop. The accused then accelerated, dragging the trooper for a short distance, before attempting to exit the lot.”

Troopers said Delvalle ran over the stop sticks and nearly struck two state police cruisers, WTNH reported. He was discovered later behind a local business, attempting to change one of his tires, according to the television station.

Delvalle was arrested and his bond was set at $5,000, Zdrojeski told the Press.

He is due in court on Dec. 30, WTNH reported.

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