East Hartford

East Hartford man accused of driving the wrong way on the highway, hitting state police cruiser

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An East Hartford man is accused of driving the wrong way on a highway and hitting a state police cruiser early Sunday morning.

Troopers were called to a report of someone driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of Route 2 around 3:45 a.m.

While heading to the area, state police said they learned the person driving the wrong way had entered Route 5/15 and was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of the highway.

State police said troopers later found 69-year-old Robert John Washam, of East Hartford, driving the wrong way in the right shoulder of the highway.

As troopers attempted to stop Washam, authorities said he hit a state police cruiser.

Washam was reportedly uncooperative with state police at the scene and appeared to be intoxicated. According to state police, he failed field sobriety tests at Troop H.

He is facing charges including reckless driving, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, illegal entry onto a limited access highway, reckless endangerment, illegal operation of a vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs and interfering with an officer/resisting.

Washam was held on a $75,000 bond and is due in court on Monday.

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