Hamden

Driver Rammed Vehicle, Hit Father Carrying Toddler in Conn.: Police

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Police are looking for the driver who rammed another car and then hit a father carrying a toddler on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden Thursday morning.

Officers responded to Dixwell Avenue near Homestead Avenue around 8:30 a.m. after a woman reported a gold-colored Mitsubishi had hit her car several times.

The driver took off but later returned to the area around 9 a.m., according to police. The driver began doing donuts in the middle of Dixwell Avenue in front of officers and then sped away again, police said.

Shortly after, another officer saw the same car driving on the wrong side of Dixwell Avenue. That officer didn't chase it and then lost sight of the car.

"We don't know why it happened. We don't know why someone would be three lanes over one the wrong side of traffic," said Chief Timothy Wydra. "But something we would need to look into obviously. And that's why we want to find this person and make sure he stops doing this."

The driver then hit a man walking across Dixwell Avenue near Newton Street while carrying a 1-year-old child, according to police.

The 29-year-old man suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. The toddler suffered minor injuries. Both were taken to the hospital.

Hamden resident Justine Bittle-Ford was stopped at a red light when she saw the man and his crossing. 

"The child was on the father's shoulders," said Bittle-Ford. "He had the right of way. The dad. Then I made my turn. Then I got to my destination I heard all this screeching and screeching of the tires, I said, 'Oh my goodness.'"

Two men accused of stealing cooking oil from a restaurant in Old Saybrook led police on a chase that ended in a a crash on I-95 in Westport.

Police are still searching for the driver and the vehicle. They released surveillance images of the car and the suspected driver.

Officials said they didn't chase the driver to avoid putting more people in harm's way. They do have the driver's license plate, pictures and surveillance footage, which they hope will help them find the suspect.

Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to call Hamden police at (203) 230-4000.

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