A Danbury police officer has been arrested and charged with reckless driving for using his personal vehicle to chase a stolen SUV, according to state police.
Officer Jamie Hodge was in uniform while working a private duty job on December 1, 2016 when he noticed what he believed to be a stolen vehicle.
According to a state police investigator, Hodge jumped in his Chevy Tahoe and followed the stolen SUV at a high rate of speed before losing site of it.
The stolen SUV hit a utility pole on Mountainville Road and rolled over several times. A passenger in the SUV, 26-year-old Tiffany Fitzgerald, was ejected and later died from her injuries.
The driver, 33-year-old Ricardo Andre, was not seriously injured.
After a months-long investigation, state police determined Hodge endangered the lives of others by driving recklessly while pursuing the stolen SUV.
He was arrested on Friday.
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State police said they plan additional charges against Andre for his role in the incident.