Newtown Man Arrested, Charged For Allegedly Fleeing Traffic Stop

A 34-year-old man from Newtown has been arrested and faces multiple charges after allegedly fleeing a traffic stop and crashing his vehicle into a grocery store parking lot along Route 8 in Waterbury.

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According to the Connecticut State Police, on 8-30-24 Troopers from Troop L in Litchfield alerted Troopers from Troop A in Southbury were alerted to an erratic driver on Route 8 Southbound in the area of Exit 38. A Trooper stationed by Exit 37 clocked a black sedan traveling at 93MPH with laser and pulled the vehicle over just prior to Exit 36.

According to the report from Trooper Hoxhallari, the operator of the black sedan allegedly provided the Trooper with a fake operator's license and had two empty bottles of Captain Morgan in plain view inside of the vehicle. As the Trooper returned to their vehicle to confirm the suspect's identity, the vehicle took off at a high rate of speed towards Waterbury. The black sedan was later discovered after it had crashed into the back of another vehicle in the parking lot of the Colonial Street Grocery Store, which is right off of Exit 36 in Waterbury. According to eyewitnesses, the operator had fled on foot.

Following a two-and-a-half-month investigation, the Connecticut State Police have identified 34-year-old Todd Pleasants of Newtown as the driver of the black Ford Focus. Pleasants was arrested yesterday at Waterbury Superior Court, and has been charged with Illegal Operation of a Motor Vehicle While Under Suspension, Reckless Driving, Disobeying Signal of an Officer, Criminal Impersonation, and Interfering with an Officer/Resisting. Pleasants was held on a $25,000 court-set bond.