Police say alleged car thief ran over victim twice
State police arrested a 46-year-old Norwich man Monday for allegedly stealing a car and twice running over the owner before fleeing the scene.
Matthew Kelly of 6 Kinney St. faces charges of first-degree assault and third-degree larceny in the March 25 incident, which took place in the parking lot of the Country Farms convenience store at 66 Main St. in Jewett City. The alleged victim was a 67-year-old man who left his Ford Focus unlocked with the engine running while he went inside the store to buy a newspaper and milk.
Police said Kelly got into the victim’s car and was backing up when the store clerk told the owner, “Hey look, he’s stealing your car.” The victim went outside as the car was backing up.
After backing into a chain link fence, police said Kelly drove forward and struck the victim, who landed on the hood of the car. Kelly drove out of the parking lot and over a sidewalk, tossing the victim off the car and onto Main Street. Kelly proceeded to drive forward over the victim and then backed up over him, police said in an arrest warrant affidavit. The incident was captured on video surveillance cameras in the area.
The victim suffered hip fractures that required multiple surgeries and injuries to his groin and trachea. During his getaway, police said Kelly additionally struck another vehicle.
Detectives from the state police Eastern District Major Crime Squad interviewed Kelly at McDougall Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield on May 2. Records show Kelly, with past convictions for burglary, larceny and drunken driving, was being held for a parole violation.
In a statement to police, Kelly said that on the night of the incident he drank four 24-ounce Natty Daddy beers, sniffed the antidepressant drug Wellbutrin and was on the phone fighting with his girlfriend. He also took the prescription sleep medication Remeron that day.
Kelly told police he wanted to kill himself that night and remembers aiming the car at a tree while driving. He told police he didn’t remember anything else about driving. Held on a $175,000 bond, Kelly was due to appear Tuesday in New London Superior Court.
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