Hit-And-Run Driver Charged With Leaving Scene After Striking, Critically Injuring Bicyclist: NHPD

NEW HAVEN, CT — It was around 12:30 p.m. when a black Toyota struck a man riding a bike on Ella T. Grasso Blvd., and then fled, leaving the man lying in the roadway gravely injured, police said.

When cops got to the 500 block of Grasso, they found the man "in the middle of the road suffering from significant injuries," accordin to New Haven police spokesperson Officer Christai Bruckhart. Rushed to Yale-New Haven Hospital, he's listed in critical condition, Bruckhart said,

Police have not yet been able to identify the man.

According to Bruckhart, witnesses said they saw the black Corolla "strike the victim and then continue traveling south."

Investigating officers working with personnel assigned to the Real Time Crime Center tracked the Toyota back to the 300 block of Winthrop Avenue, Bruckhart said. There, police found the car with "significant damage and evidence consistent with striking the victim."

Based on their investigation, they were able to take the registered owner of the vehicle, Nazir Said Agha, 34, of New Haven, into custody. He has been charged with Evading Responsibility and is being held on a $150,000 bond.

Other charges may result as the investigation continues, Bruckhart said.

"Our thoughts are with the victim as he sustained serious injuries, and we hope he is able to recover quickly from this incident," said New Haven Chief of Police David Zannelli.

"I would like to thank the officers, detectives, and crime analysts who worked expeditiously to locate the offender and make an arrest within hours of the incident," he said. "This was a fantastic display of teamwork, use of technology through our Real Time Crime Center, investigation by our Crash Reconstruction Unit, and tips from community members. Thank you to everyone who assisted."