Wanted On Kidnapping, Robbery, and Drug Charges—

Pair Arrested At Exit 10 After 20-Mile Interstate Chase

By Andrew Gorosko

Two men fled by car from a drug-related robbery in Waterbury and then led that city’s police and state police on a 20-mile chase along westbound Interstate 84 to the Exit 10 off-ramp in Newtown on Tuesday afternoon, where the men were involved in a three-vehicle accident, after which they were captured and arrested on multiple charges.

About 15 police, fire, and ambulance vehicles converged at about 2:45 pm Tuesday on the Exit 10 off-ramp, where police captured the two men, handcuffing them, and making them lie face-down on the road until they could be transported to the state police barracks in Southbury and the Waterbury police station for arrest booking.

Newtown police, the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, and the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps assisted Waterbury police and state police at the accident.

The Exit 10 westbound off-ramp and on-ramp were closed to traffic for about an hour, until the accident-damaged vehicles could be towed away.

Waterbury police spokesman Sergeant Christopher Corbett said the two men were involved in a crack cocaine drug deal in Waterbury that had gone bad. The men then fled the area in a Honda Civic, forcibly taking with them the man from whom they had sought to buy drugs, the sergeant said.

That man was able to jump out of the Honda before it entered westbound I-84 in Waterbury, the sergeant said. Police have not yet found that man, but have found a bloodied hammer with which they believe he was assaulted while being kidnapped, the sergeant said.

About 2:17 pm, Waterbury police notified state police of a chase-in-progress on the highway. State police joined the chase near Exit 15 in Southbury and continued following the two men until Exit 10, where the Honda entered the off-ramp, overtook traffic at the bottom of the ramp and then sideswiped a sport-utility vehicle driven by a Brookfield man as the Honda attempted to pass the SUV on the right road shoulder, state police said.

The accident’s impact forced the SUV into a state police cruiser that was pursuing the Honda, state police said.

The state police cruiser then pulled ahead of the Honda on the ramp, blocking its movement and ending the pursuit, state police said.

State police said they caught Honda driver Hubert Nash, 38, of Danbury, after a brief foot chase. A male passenger in the Honda, Frank McGee, 35, of Danbury, also was arrested. Police detained a female passenger who was in the Honda.

The state trooper driving the cruiser involved in the accident was transported to Danbury Hospital to be checked for neck and back pain.

State police arrested Nash on charges of engaging in pursuit, reckless driving, and driving while under suspension. Besides various motor vehicle offenses, Waterbury police charged Nash with second degree kidnapping, criminal attempt at second-degree assault, first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, first-degree reckless endangerment, and criminal possession of narcotics.

Waterbury police charged McGee with conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, first-degree robbery, and criminal possession of narcotics.

Both men were arraigned Wednesday in Waterbury Superior Court.