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Man Charged With DUI After Slamming Into State Police Cruiser On I-95

A man was arrested after he slammed his car into a Connecticut State Police cruiser on I-95 on Saturday night while troopers were assisting a disabled tour bus, police said.

A car driven by a drunken driver slammed into a State Police cruiser on I-95 at the scene of a broken down bus.

A car driven by a drunken driver slammed into a State Police cruiser on I-95 at the scene of a broken down bus.

Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police
Genaro Claussels, 48, of Hamden

Genaro Claussels, 48, of Hamden

Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police
A car driven by a drunken driver slammed into a State Police cruiser on I-95 at the scene of a broken down bus.

A car driven by a drunken driver slammed into a State Police cruiser on I-95 at the scene of a broken down bus.

Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

The accident happened at 9:18 p.m. Saturday while troopers from Troop F in Westbrook were with a tour bus that had broken down in the median of I-95 northbound between Exits 56 and 57 in Guilford, state police said. 

While helping passengers transfer to another bus, troopers shut down the left lane of the highway and positioned their cruisers in the left lane with emergency lights activated, state police said. 

A car traveled toward the scene in the left lane and failed to stop, yield, or move over for the emergency vehicles before striking an unoccupied cruiser, state police said. 

The vehicle pulled ahead of the cruiser and briefly stopped in the left lane before accelerating and continuing to travel north on I-95, state police said. Troopers found the vehicle on I-95 northbound a ways north of the scene of the accident, state police said. 

The driver, identified as Genaro Claussels, 48, of Hamden, was not injured and admitted he was involved in the accident, state police said. 

During the investigation, Claussels submitted to and failed to perform standardized field sobriety tests to standard and was placed under arrest and taken into custody. He was charged with operating under the influence, evading responsibility of an accident and failure to reduce speed/move over for an emergency vehicle. Claussels was held on $10,000 surety bond and is scheduled to appear at New Haven Superior Court on Feb. 21.

No injuries were reported to the troopers or Claussels, state police said.

"The Connecticut State Police remind all motorists that you are required to slow down and/or move over when approaching emergency vehicles located in the shoulder, travel lane or breakdown lane of a highway," state police said in a Facebook post.

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