Connecticut state trooper killed during traffic stop by hit-and-run driver

SOUTHINGTON, Conn. – Connecticut State Police are mourning the loss of Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier who was struck and killed during a traffic stop by a hit-and-run driver.

Trooper Pelletier stopped a motorist on Interstate 84 in Southington on Thursday at about 2:30 p.m. when he was fatally struck by a pickup truck, which then fled the scene, WFSB reported.

The driver of the truck was later captured after his tire failed on I-84 East in Farmington. He was identified as 44-year-old Alex Oyola-Sanchez, a resident of Hartford, according to NBC Connecticut. 

Oyola-Sanchez has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and evading responsibility death, among other charges.

Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, a nine-year veteran with the Connecticut State Police, was killed in a hit-and-run on Interstate 84 in Southington. https://t.co/1CYB7d3C1b pic.twitter.com/STPlc221GO

— WTNH News 8 (@WTNH) May 30, 2024

Hundreds of state and local police officers took part in a massive procession that escorted Trooper Pelletier to the medical examiner’s office in Farmington.

Oyola-Sanchez was subsequently booked into jail. His bond was set at $1.5 million during a court appearance on Friday.

State police said Trooper Pelletier’s law enforcement career began in 2015 when he graduated as a proud member of the 125th training troop. He served Connecticut for nine years, most recently as a K9 handler with his partner Roso, WFSB reported.

“Aaron was a loving husband and a father to young children,” said Col Daniel Loughman, commanding officer, Connecticut State Police. “Aaron was a son. He was a brother. And he was a friend to every man and woman to wear this uniform. I’m honored to have known and worked with Aaron.”

Connecticut State Police Commissioner Ronnell Higgins said, “Trooper Pelletier was a part of the tapestry that weaves this diverse state together. We lost Trooper Pelletier when he was doing one of the most vital jobs of a trooper, keeping our roads safe for you and for me and for our loved ones.”

Trooper Pelletier leaves behind his wife, Dominique, and two young sons, Troy and Zachary, according to state police officials.

Source: www.lawofficer.com