Man Charged With Drunken Driving After Hitting Stamford Police Crusier

STAMFORD, Conn. -- A Stamford man was charged operating while under the influence and failing to stop at a traffic light after colliding with a new police cruiser that had its lights and sirens on in May, police said.

Stamford Police have charged a city man in connection with the May 3 collision with a police cruiser. The man was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence.
Photo Credit: *File*

Frank MacEachern

06/04/2014 11:00 a.m.

Leonardo Sanchez, 32, of 1450 Washington Blvd., was charged Tuesday. He posted $500 bond and was released to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on June 17.

In the crash, Sanchez was northbound on Canal Street at 2:20 a.m. May 3 when he collided with an eastbound 2014 Ford police cruiser driven by Officer Raymond Fortuna, a nine-year veteran of the department, police said.

Fortuna was eastbound on Tresser Boulevard with his siren and lights activated as he responded to help a fellow officer at a call, police said.

Sanchez told paramedics at the scene that he was the driver and sole occupant of the car, police said.

But when he spoke with officers in the Stamford Hospital Emergency Department, he said the 2006 Chevrolet was driven by a man he identified only as “J,” police said.

"J: crawled over him and out of the vehicle on the passenger side after the collision, he told police.

However, a witness to the collision told officers there was only one occupant of the Chevrolet and no one else exited the vehicle.

Sanchez and Fortuna were both treated and released from Stamford Hospital, police said.

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