
Wakelee Avenue is a one-mile straight stretch that connects Derby to Seymour.
ANSONIA — Police said the people driving recklessly along Wakelee Avenue could also be responsible for stealing motor vehicles throughout the region.
“We’ve been dealing with a group over the last two months of individuals stealing rear-wheel drive vehicles from car dealerships,” Ansonia Police Chief Wayne Williams said. “We’ve been chasing them around. We have made some arrests recently at people’s houses out of town, and are working with multiple agencies to ID these stolen car suspects.“
The chief made his comments during Tuesday’s Ansonia Board of Aldermen meeting. His comments were prompted by Fifth Ward Alderman Chicago Rivers, who noted he’s been receiving complaints from his constituents about cars doing donuts in the parking lot of Nolan Field on Wakelee Avenue at all hours of the night.
“There’s people doing donuts at Nolan Field at all times of the night, that’s what I’m hearing most about from residents,” Rivers said.
Residents of Wakelee Avenue, a long straight stretch of road parallel to Route 8, have also complained about late-night drag racing.
It’s easier to do donuts and drifts in rear-wheel vehicles, hence the chief’s comments about joyriders stealing rear-wheel vehicles.
“Donuts are annoying, but the stolen cars are the felonies that we’re trying to address. We’re not ignoring it, we’re addressing it,” Williams said.
Alderman Joe Jaumann, who represents residents in the Fifth Ward, also expressed concerns to Williams about people driving recklessly along Wakelee Avenue.
“There’s lot of speeding and noise complaints from residents, especially on Friday and Saturday nights,” Jaumann said, asking for increased police presence on the weekends.
Williams said police are aware of the problems there and have “issued some very large infractions and summons’ there.”