A stolen pickup truck being chased by police crashed into a truck carrying propane at the intersection of Route 161 and Route 85 in Montville Tuesday afternoon.
The force of the crash sent the propane truck and its driver into a nearby pond, according to police. Two state troopers and a police officer from East Lyme cut the driver out of his seatbelt, pulled him from the truck and dragged him to shore, police said. The unidentified driver was flown to the hospital by LifeStar. Details on his injuries were not released.
According to state police, troopers received a report of a stolen vehicle in Old Saybrook around 2:30 p.m. The troopers spotted the pickup truck and began chasing the vehicle up Route 161.
The truck reached Route 85 in Montville when it collided with the propane truck.
The intersection remained shut down for most of the afternoon.
The driver and a passenger in the stolen pickup were taken to William Backus Hospital in Norwich to be treated for injuries. Both people are expected to be released from the hospital shortly and will be facing numerous charges, police said.
Crews from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to the scene of the accident to deal with the propane in the tank of the truck.
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