Police: New London man forcibly kept woman in car during chase
[naviga:img class="img-responsive" alt="Kevin Smith" src="/Assets/news2015/0725DaySmith.JPG"/]
Kevin Smith
New London — A local man is in custody after police said he led them on a high-speed chase and on multiple occasions did not let a female passenger exit the car he was driving.
Kevin Smith, 32, of 281 Gardner Ave., Apt. 4, was charged Monday with breach of peace, unlawful restraint, first-degree reckless endangerment, driving under the influence, reckless driving, engaging an officer in pursuit, evading responsibility and driving without a license.
Police said they received multiple calls about an erratic driver near Toby May Field around 4:30 p.m. Monday. Some of the callers said the driver was physically fighting with a female passenger in the vehicle, police said.
When she attempted to exit the vehicle while it was traveling on Ocean Avenue, callers said, the driver pulled her back into the vehicle.
According to police, when officers stopped the vehicle on Montauk Avenue near School Street, they observed the female passenger attempting to get out of it as they approached.
Then, police said, Smith rapidly accelerated, forcing the passenger back into the car and beginning a pursuit that proceeded south on Montauk Avenue at a high rate of speed.
According to police, Smith then turned right onto Glenwood Avenue, crashing his car into two vehicles at the Ocean Avenue intersection.
No one was injured in the collision, and police said Smith continued on Glenwood Avenue into Waterford.
Police said Smith eventually pulled the vehicle over on Dimmock Road near Goundry Drive, where they took him into custody.
Smith was held at the New London Police Department on a $100,000 bond.
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