High Speed Chase Ends in Town

WINSTED — An alleged purse thief and getaway driver led police on a high-speed chase from Torrington to Winsted before being stopped at the end of Route 8 by Winsted, state and Torrington police Monday afternoon.

Torrington said 23-year-old Eric Plevka was the getaway driver for Jason Lind, 20, who snatched a purse from a 64-year-old woman at the Torrington Parkade on Winsted Road. Lind allegedly ran from the scene and was picked up by Plevka in a white 1990 Toyota Camry which was soon spotted by Torrington police near Charles and Revere streets.

Later this week it was reported that Lind is the Torrington resident who lit himself on fire when he was 13 in an attempt to imitate a stunt performed on MTV’s “Jackass� show. Lind has been involved with the law numerous times since that incident, as has Plevka, who is a registered sex offender.

Plevka reportedly ignored officers’ orders to stop the car and sped onto Route 8 north, attempting to strike police cruisers twice. Winsted police received a call at about 1:30 p.m. that Torrington police were chasing the white Camry toward Winsted and that officers should be prepared.

Winsted Police officer Paul Vaccari was the first on the scene at the end of the Route 8 exit ramp. He stopped a tractor-trailer truck at the end of the ramp and parked his cruiser on the grass on the right side of the road as state and local police converged on the scene. With nowhere to go when he arrived at the end of the road, Plevka stopped and placed the getaway car into park.

“Paul did an excellent job,� said Winchester Police Chief Nicholas Guerriero of Vaccari’s work. “We were intending to put the Stop Sticks [tire-deflating device] down but with the traffic, Paul was able to use that traffic as a natural barrier. There were no injuries, no damages and it was a job well done.�

Torrington police took responsibility for apprehending both suspects, one of whom reportedly refused to get out of the vehicle and was maced. At that suspect’s request, an ambulance was called to take him from the scene to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital for treatment.

Plevka was charged with second-degree larceny, assault on a person over 60, engaging police in pursuit, reckless driving, interfering with a police officer, operating under a suspended license and two counts of criminal attempt to assault a police officer. Lind was charged with second-degree larceny and assault on a person over 60. Lind and Plevka were held on $100,000 and $150,000 bonds, respectively.

Police and witnesses at the scene of the arrests observed excessive traffic on Main Street and said the suspects picked the wrong time of day to try to evade police.