Driver of stolen vehicle who robbed bank killed in crash; toddler rescued from car

WINDSOR, Conn. — A man who stole a vehicle with a young child in the back seat robbed a bank and then died after striking a tree on Wednesday, authorities said.

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According to the Windsor Police Department, officers received a 911 call at about 9:09 a.m. EDT about a person who stole a vehicle at the St. Gabriel School, The Hartford Courant reported. The caller told police that there was a 17-month-old child in the back seat of the vehicle.

According to a statement from Windsor police Lt. Nicholas Dally, police received a 911 call a minute later about a bank robbery at the Windsor Federal Savings Bank, the Courant reported.

A third 911 call seconds later reported that a vehicle had hit a tree at Windsor Avenue near Hillcrest Road, WVIT-TV reported.

“I heard a series of very loud bangs,” Suzanne Plover-Lanza, who lives near the crash site, told WTIC-TV. “From the sound of the accident itself, I knew it wasn’t good. It sounded like an explosion and then I saw a plume of smoke and you could smell it.”

Police responded to all three call locations and determined that all three 911 calls were related, according to WVIT.

“As officers gathered information at each location, it became apparent that all three incidents are related,” Dally said in his statement.

The driver of the vehicle has not been identified. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, the Courant reported.

“The child that was in the backseat of the vehicle was awake and responsive at the scene,” Dally said in his statement.

The child’s mother was brought to the scene of the crash and accompanied the toddler to an area hospital, according to the Courant.

In a statement, the St. Gabriel School notified families about the incident, adding that no weapons were involved and its students were safe, WVIT reported.

“I am writing to inform you that there was a car theft incident that involved police presence in the front of the school this morning,” the message stated. “No weapons of any kind were involved. Please know that our students and staff are safe and there is no threat on campus. Please join me in praying for our families.”

An investigation is ongoing, Dally said.