State police have charged two men allegedly in connection with a street takeover that spanned across several cities on Interstate 95 over the weekend and involved more than 100 motorcycles.
Troopers received reports of the incident shortly after 11 a.m. on Saturday when multiple people called 911 about a large gathering of Harley-Davidson-style motorcycles driving erratically on I-95 South in the New Haven area, according to Connecticut State Police.
State police used the Department of Transportation traffic cameras to locate the group of motorcycles in the area of Exit 46 and monitor them as they continued along the highway. As they continued traveling south through New Haven, West Haven, Orange, Milford and Stratford, state police said the motorcycle drivers could reportedly be seen performing stunts and blocking the lanes to other motorists.
State police said they were also able to use the traffic cameras to spot a white GMC Denali pickup truck in the left lane allegedly “leading the pack of motorcycles.” A man was reportedly in the rear bed of the truck filming the motorcycles performing “wheelies” and other stunts, according to state police.
Troopers responded to the area and notified other law enforcement agencies nearby.
At the Exit 33 entrance ramp to I-95, a trooper positioned their cruiser in an attempt to intercept the group. As this was happening, troopers watching the highway cameras could see the pickup truck driver using the left shoulder to pass other motorists, as the group “continuously overtook and created a hazard to various motorists on the highway.”
A trooper was able to merge onto the highway as the group approached and get behind the pickup truck, which reportedly had a GoPro camera mounted to the rear tailgate, state police said. There was no longer anyone in the bed of the truck, as troopers alleged that a passenger used a rear power window to get in and out of the bed, according to state police. The trooper was able to get the vehicle’s license plate information.
State police said the motorcycle drivers allegedly surrounded the cruiser and interfered when the trooper tried to initiate a motor vehicle stop. The trooper eventually deactivated the cruiser’s lights and sirens out of safety concerns for those involved in the takeover and other motorists.
State police tracked the group until they approached the New York border, at which point they advised New York State Police about the situation. Troopers in New York were able to pull over the Denali and identify the driver as 26-year-old Shaun Puglia of West Haven and the passenger as 28-year-old Ryley Lewis of North Haven, according to Connecticut State Police.
A Connecticut trooper responded to the motor vehicle stop where authorities found two commercial-style cameras in the backseat of the truck concealed underneath some clothing. They also found spare motorcycle parts in the bed of the truck.
Troopers in New York encouraged both occupants of the truck to turn themselves in at the Troop G barracks in Bridgeport, which they did just before 2:20 p.m., arriving in the Denali.
State police said neither man denied their involvement in the takeover, though Puglia said he was not aware that a trooper had tried to pull him over.
Puglia faces charges of first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree breach of peace, interfering with an officer, reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer and knowingly inciting a street takeover.
Lewis faces charges of failure to wear a seatbelt, knowingly inciting a street takeover and second-degree breach of peace.
Puglia was released on a $30,000 bond, and Lewis was freed on a $20,000 bond. Both men are scheduled to be arraigned in Bridgeport Superior Court on Oct. 2.
