Truck crashes into police cruiser in New Britain

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) -- While attempting to chase down a stolen vehicle that crashed into it and fled the scene Monday,  a pick-up truck crashed into a New Britain Police cruiser causing a multi-vehicle accident.

Around 4 p.m. Monday, a female told New Britain Police that her ex-boyfriend, Jose Marcano, 24, had stolen her Honda Civic.

Shortly after, police spotted the stolen vehicle and attempted to stop it. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop and the brief pursuit was terminated.

Police said it appears that the stolen vehicle was then involved in an accident with a pick-up truck, and that the driver fled the scene.

The operator of the pick-up truck then apparently attempted to follow the stolen vehicle. When the truck reached the intersection of Lincoln St. and Hart St. it crashed into a New Britain Police cruiser.

The impact of the crash caused the cruiser to cross into the oncoming traffic lane on Hart St., striking a SUV, and another vehicle behind the SUV struck it.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the cruiser had the right of way and was not in violation of any traffic control signal.

Police said the officer in the cruiser that was struck was not part of a pursuit, and there was no longer a police pursuit when the stolen Honda struck the pick-up truck.

The officer and the operator of the pick-up truck sustained non-life threatening injuries. Both were treated and released from the Hospital of Central Connecticut New Britain Campus.

The stolen vehicle is a blue, two-door, 2002 Honda Civic with CT registration 594-XWV.

The driver, Marcano, has a last known address in Hartford. He is wanted on multiple failure to appear warrants from several towns.

Anyone with information regarding accident, the location of the stolen car, or the location of Marcano is asked to call the New Britain Police Department at 860-826-3000.