A man stole a vehicle from a gas station near West Hartford Center on Saturday morning.

By Ronni Newton

A man who stole a car from the Shell gas station at the corner of Trout Brook Drive and Farmington Avenue just outside of West Hartford Center was apprehended after he fled police and crashed into a utility pole in Hartford.

West Hartford Police said that one of their officers was inside the gas station convenience store when he was alerted by witnesses that someone had taken a car that was left running in the parking lot.

West Hartford Police said that they did not pursue the vehicle, which fled at a high rate of speed, and an attempt made in Hartford with the stop sticks was unsuccessful.

According to West Hartford Police, the driver of the vehicle was taken into custody after it crashed in Hartford.

West Hartford Police have charged Jhuge Arnold, 35, with third-degree larceny and operating a vehicle with a suspended license. Hartford Police are also expected to charge Arnold.

According to the Hartford Courant, while fleeing, Arnold struck a utility pole and there were also injuries to a bystander on Sigourney Street. The bystander was transported to St. Francis Hospital, and information about the extent of injuries is not currently available.

Court records indicate that Arnold received a jail sentence and served parole in conjunction with first-degree robbery with a firearm charges in 2008. He also received a six-month prison sentence for assault stemming from a 2016 incident, and also has been charged with motor vehicle violations.

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