Connecticut State Trooper is killed during routine traffic stop (2025)

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Tributes have poured in for a Connecticut state trooper who was killed in a freak accident during a routine traffic stop.

Trooper Aaron Pelletier, 34, died on Thursday when he was struck by a passing truck while he inspected another vehicle on the I-84. He leaves behind a wife and two young sons.

Investigators arrested Alex Oyola-Sanchez that afternoon after he allegedly failed to stop following the collision, with cops claiming that he was on a dizzying array of drugs at the time.

At a press conference, Colonel Daniel Loughman, Aaron's commanding officer, described Pelletier as a 'dedicated and compassionate professional' who was a 'role model for younger officers.'

Connecticut state police said Pelletier was working an overtime shift as part of a high-visibility highway enforcement grant that was intended to reduce the number of fatalities on highways, reports NBC Connecticut.

The trooper and father-of-two had pulled over a driver after noticing they were not wearing a seatbelt. As he was stood outside his vehicle speaking with the driver, a red pickup truck swerved into his path.

The truck, allegedly driven by Oyola-Sanchez, drifted with two wheels over the right dividing line, before sideswiping Pelletier's vehicle and killing the trooper.

He was pronounced dead at the scene following the collision just after 2:30pm.

The suspected driver sped away from the scene, police said, but was arrested shortly after when he was forced to pull over due damage to his truck from the crash.

A witness reportedly called 911 and confronted the driver, and Oyola-Sanchez admitted he knew he had to stop, according to WFSB.

Following Oyola-Sanchez's arrest, he allegedly told cops that he had ingested a slew of drugs before the crash, beginning with fentanyl and cocaine.

He reportedly said he was intent on taking 'all the cocaine' and used over a dozen bags at one time. Before the crash he reportedly said he woke from a nap to buy a pill, which he believed to klonopin, from a drug dealer on the street.

Oyola-Sanchez allegedly said he then drove to work, and the next thing he remembered he was being flagged down by the witness after striking the trooper.

Investigators said he showed symptoms of gait ataxia - a stagger in his walk - and a field test at the hospital noted that he was severely impaired.

He was arraigned from his hospital bed and charged with second-degree manslaughter, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and a number of other motor violations including failure to renew registration and driving without insurance.

Late Thursday afternoon, hundreds of state troopers and local police officers formed a procession to where Pelletier was killed.

The long line of lights and sirens escorted his body to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, before it is scheduled to be moved to a funeral home in Southington, Connecticut.

Tributes flooded in for Trooper Pelletier following his death, with Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont ordering flags to fly at half-staff in his honor.

He leaves behind his wife Dominique and their two young sons, Troy and Zachary.

A friend said on Facebook that after hearing the news of his death, they 'can't believe this is our reality right now.'

'My heart is shattered,' they said. 'I was hoping this was a bad dream... Your laugh and smile were infectious and this is so unfair! We will miss you everyday.'