Newtown Schools Secured During Police Search After Interstate Crash

According to a release from the Newtown Police Department, it was an unusual and tense afternoon in town on Tuesday (4/22/26) after police assisted Connecticut State Police in searching for two people who reportedly ran from a traffic crash on Interstate 84.

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The incident happened near Exit 10 in Newtown, where authorities say two individuals fled the scene following the accident. That immediately triggered a search in the surrounding area, with law enforcement bringing in a K9 unit to help track them down.

The canine search reportedly led officers toward Church Hill Road, which quickly created concern because of how close the area is to several local schools. As a precaution, police established a perimeter that included Hawley School, St. Rose School, and Newtown Middle School.

Anytime you hear the words “police perimeter” and “schools” in the same sentence, you know it’s going to get parents’ attention fast.

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Officials say all three schools were secured while officers searched the area, and student dismissal was temporarily delayed until police were confident the situation was under control. That meant an anxious wait for parents, students, and staff while officers worked through the scene.

State Police were able to locate and detain one of the two individuals on School House Hill Road. The second person, however, was not found during the search.

Once the K9 track ended and authorities determined it was safe to move forward, the schools were dismissed. Newtown Police officers were stationed at each school to help with dismissal and keep things running as smoothly as possible.

Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries or any threat involving the schools themselves, but it was still the kind of unexpected afternoon that can throw an entire town off schedule.

For Newtown families, it was a reminder that even a highway crash can quickly turn into a much larger police response when suspects decide to run.