Former Bloomfield Police Officer Charged In March 2016 Crash

March 02--A former town police officer has been arrested nearly a year after she was involved in a wreck that left a man in critical condition, state police said Wednesday.

Alecia Aldrich, 24 at the time and employed by the Bloomfield Police Department, was driving her police cruiser eastbound on Park Avenue on March 31, 2016, when she reportedly ran a red light and collided with a Lexus sedan at the intersection with School Street, according to a state police report.

Aldrich was responding to a nonlife-threatening call and had activated her emergency lights and siren, the report said. She was traveling about 35 mph, within the speed limit, but did not apply any brakes prior to the crash, according to the report.

She was charged Wednesday with second-degree assault, rights and duties regarding emergency vehicles, reckless driving and a seat belt violation. She is scheduled to appear in court March 9.

The driver of the Lexus, Dwayne McLish of Plainville, did reportedly brake before the wreck. A volunteer firefighter with the Blue Hills Fire Department, McLish had been returning from a training session at the time of the crash, Blue Hills Fire Chief Robert Farmer said in 2016.

Both Aldrich, of Hartford and McLish, then 25, were transported to a local hospital. McLish required treatment for injuries including swelling of the brain and tears of the brain tissue.

At the time of the crash, Bloomfield police Capt. Stephen Hajdasz said Aldrich was responding to an earlier report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, which turned out to be fairly minor.

Aldrich, who was a probationary officer, worked for the Bloomfield department from May 2015 to October 2016.

She filed a Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities complaint against the town and several high ranking officers, including Chief Paul Hammick, following her separation from the department.

That complaint alleges Aldrich was sexually harassed and discriminated against based on her race and sex.

In December, 26-year-old McLish filed a civil lawsuit against the town of Bloomfield and Aldrich, alleging the findings that state police confirmed Wednesday: that the officer had run a red light and failed to brake. The suit is pending.

McLish has now been arrested in the crash as well.

Police charged him Wednesday with inadequate insurance and a seat belt violation. He is scheduled to appear in court March 22.

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