Driver arrested in fatal hit-and-run of CT state trooper

The driver accused of fatally striking Connecticut Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier and then fleeing the scene has been arrested.

Alex Oyola-Sanchez, 44, faces a series of charges in connection with the deadly hit-and-run, including second-degree manslaughter, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol and felony evasion of responsibility.

According to an arrest report obtained by NBC Connecticut, Oyola-Sanchez admitted to taking fentanyl, cocaine and what he believed to be Klonopin before the fatal crash on Thursday afternoon.

Pelletier had stopped a car on Interstate 84 East in Southington and was standing outside his car when Oyola-Sanchez's pickup truck swerved onto the shoulder. Authorities said his vehicle first struck the police car and then hit Pelletier, who was talking to the driver he had just stopped.

The highway was closed for hours while police investigated the incident and found the suspect.

Oyola-Sanchez continued driving, stopping only after her tire blew out on I-84 East in Farmington. He was taken into custody shortly after, and this is far from the first time he has been arrested.

In 2007, Oyola-Sanchez was convicted of third-degree murder in Puerto Rico and sentenced to six years in prison, CT Insider reported. It is unclear how much time he actually spent behind bars. The following year, he was charged with three counts of attempted homicide.

Pelletier leaves behind his wife Dominique and his two young sons, Troy and Zachary.