Police: Connecticut Man Arrested for Driving the Wrong Way on I-84

According to a press release from the CT State Police, a Hartford man was arrested early Sunday morning, November 17th, 2024, after being caught driving the wrong way on the Governor Street off-ramp in East Hartford.

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State police were made aware of the situation around 2:34 AM when a wrong-way detection notification came through. Using cameras from the Department of Transportation, Troop H confirmed a vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction and identified it as a white SUV with noticeable front-end damage. Additionally, dispatchers saw other drivers swerving to avoid a direct head-on collision.

Troopers responded quickly to the scene, and within minutes, spotted the vehicle — a white Lexus heading the wrong way on the Pitkin Street entrance ramp from I-84 eastbound. Officers say they managed to stop it without incident. Once the vehicle was had come to a complete stop, troopers say they observed front-end damage, with smoke rising from the car and fluid leaking, suggesting that it had recently been involved in a collision.

While East Hartford officers helped to investigate the area for any potential damaged objects, nothing was found. Further inspection of the vehicle revealed dark-tinted license plate covers that obscured the registration and an illegally tinted front windshield. The driver, later identified as 40-year-old Angel Luis Sanabria from Hartford, who police say exhibited signs of impairment. He reportedly struggled to communicate clearly and had trouble following simple instructions.

As troopers assisted Sanabria out of the car, they say they noticed a bundle of wax folds containing an unknown substance on the floor of the driver's side. The substance tested positive for fentanyl, prompting the officers to seize the narcotics as evidence according to the report. Sanabria was transported to Troop H for further processing.

While on the way to Troop H, police say Sanabria became verbally aggressive. At the Troop H processing area, he agreed to undergo the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST), but ultimately failed according to reports. CSP says a breath test showed his blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit. Authorities say Sanabria admitted that he hadn’t realized he was driving the wrong way on the highway.

As a result of the incident, Sanabria faces multiple charges, including:

• C.G.S. 14-99f(b): Windshield Obstructing View
• C.G.S. 14-100a(c)(1): Failure to Wear Safety Seat Belt
• C.G.S. 14-18(a): Failure to Display Registration Plates
• C.G.S. 14-222: Reckless Driving
• C.G.S. 14-227a: Illegal Operation of a Motor Vehicle while Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs
• C.G.S. 14-237: Driving the Wrong-Way on a Divided Highway
• C.G.S. 14-238: Improper Entry/Exit of a Limited Access Highway
• C.G.S. 21a-279(a)(1): Possession of a Controlled Substance- 1st Offense
• C.G.S. 53a-64: Reckless Endangerment 2nd Degree

Sanabria was released on a $10,000 cash/surety bond and is scheduled for arraignment at Manchester Superior Court on December 12, 2024.