Connecticut State Trooper dies after being hit by car during traffic stop on highway

SOUTHINGTON, Connecticut – A Connecticut state trooper was killed Thursday when he was struck by a car during a traffic stop on a highway, officials said.

Connecticut State Police said Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier was fatally struck by a passing vehicle while conducting a traffic stop alongside his patrol car on I-84 in Southington at approximately 2:36 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the vehicle initially “fled the scene of the accident,” according to a press release, but was found and arrested shortly after the incident.

Pelletier served with the Connecticut State Police for nine years. The agency said he “served the citizens of the State of Connecticut with unwavering dedication, pride and professionalism, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

Following the death, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont ordered the state and U.S. flags to be flown at half-mast.