A 64-year-old Shelton man was arrested for allegedly driving drunk the wrong way on Route 8.
Walter L. Ciepiela was charged at about 1 a.m. Aug. 9 after state police received reports of a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Route 8 north.
Ciepiela made it all the way to Bridgeport going the wrong way, police said.
Police slowed traffic on the highway and tried to stop Ciepiela’s vehicle, a Honda CR‑V, at a slow rate of speed, and also attempted to use “stop sticks” (spikes) to flatten his tires.
Ciepiela avoided the stop sticks, almost hit a police car, then increased his speed to 60 mph, according to police.
State police deployed the sticks again near exit 1 — this time successfully.
But Ciepiela kept driving, making his way onto Interstate 95 — again heading the wrong way.
A trooper “managed to successfully stop the CRV as it approached him head on,” according to a police statement.
Ciepiela failed a field sobriety test, police said.
He was charged with operating under the influence, operating with a suspended license or registration, reckless driving, disobeying signals from a police officer, driving the wrong way, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana, interfering with an officer, assaulting a police officer, and first-degree reckless endangerment.
He was being held on a $50,000 bond pending a court date later today in Bridgeport.
