Tributes have poured in for a Connecticut state trooper who was killed in a freak accident during a routine traffic stop.
Trooper Aaron Pelletier, 34, died Thursday when he was struck by a passing truck while inspecting another vehicle on I-84. He leaves behind a wife and two young sons.
Investigators arrested Alex Oyola-Sanchez that afternoon after he allegedly failed to stop following the collision, with police claiming he was on a staggering amount of drugs at the time.
At a news conference, Col. Daniel Loughman, Aaron’s commanding officer, described Pelletier as a “dedicated and compassionate professional” who was a “role model for younger officers.”
Trooper Aaron Pelletier, 34, leaves behind a wife and two young sons after he was struck and killed along I-84 Thursday
Suspect Alex Oyola-Sanchez allegedly fled the scene after the crash, and police alleged he admitted to using a staggering array of drugs beforehand, including fentanyl and cocaine.
Connecticut State Police said Pelletier was working overtime as part of a highly visible highway enforcement grant aimed at reducing highway fatalities, NBC Connecticut reports.
The officer and father of two had pulled over a driver after noticing he was not wearing a seatbelt. As he stood outside his vehicle talking to the driver, a red pickup truck swerved into his path.
The truck, believed to be driven by Oyola-Sanchez, drifted across the right divider with two wheels before sideswiping Pelletier’s vehicle and killing the trooper.
He was pronounced dead at the scene after the collision just after 2:30 p.m.
The suspected driver sped from the scene, police said, but was arrested shortly afterward when he was forced to stop due to damage to his truck from the crash.
A witness reportedly called 911 and confronted the driver, and Oyola-Sanchez admitted he knew he had to stop, police said. WFSB.
Following Pelletier’s tragic death, a huge police presence arrived on the scene
Late Thursday afternoon, hundreds of state troopers and local police officers formed a procession to the site where Pelletier was killed and escorted his body away from the scene.
After Oyola-Sanchez’s arrest, he allegedly told police that he had taken a slew of drugs before the crash, starting with fentanyl and cocaine.
He reportedly said he planned to take “all the cocaine” and used more than a dozen bags at a time. Before the crash, he reportedly said he woke up from a nap to buy a pill, which he thought was Klonopin, from a drug dealer on the street.
Oyola-Sanchez allegedly said he then drove to work, and the next thing he remembered was being pulled over by the witness after punching the officer.
Investigators said he showed symptoms of gait ataxia – an unsteady gait – and a field test at the hospital showed he was severely disabled.
He was arraigned from his hospital bed and charged with second-degree manslaughter, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and a number of other motoring violations, including failure to renew registration and driving without insurance.
Late Thursday afternoon, hundreds of state troopers and local police officers formed a procession to the site where Pelletier was killed.
The long line of lights and sirens escorted his body to the Chief Medical Examiner’s office before it was moved to a funeral home in Southington, Connecticut.
Tributes poured in for the father-of-two, with a friend saying they ‘can’t believe this is now our reality’
Colonel Daniel Loughman, Aaron’s commanding officer, described him as a “dedicated and compassionate professional” who was a “role model for younger officers”
Tributes poured in for Trooper Pelletier following his death, with Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont ordering flags to be flown at half-mast in his honor.
He is survived by his wife Dominique and their two young sons, Troy and Zachary.
A friend said on Facebook that after hearing the news of his death, they “can’t believe this is our reality right now.”
“My heart is broken,” they said. ‘I was hoping this was a bad dream… Your laugh and smile were contagious and this is so unfair! We will miss you every day.’