EAST HAVEN, CT (WFSB) – A 38-year-old man was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run incident involving a fire truck on February 11, 2025.
An East Haven Fire Department engine, responding to a structure fire in the Foxon area, was struck by a hit-and-run driver while enroute.
The fire truck, with its emergency lights and sirens activated, was traveling northbound on Hemingway Avenue when a Scion TC failed to yield and turned directly in front of the vehicle.
The collision caused significant front-end damage to the fire truck, but fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The suspect fled the scene, continuing northbound on Hemingway Avenue before turning west onto Edward Street.
Officers later located the suspect’s vehicle and made contact with the driver, identified as Joshua Bethke.
Bethke’s car showed fresh damage consistent with the collision, and a side mirror cover found at the scene matched the one missing from his vehicle when officers approached him.
Bethke initially denied involvement, but after further investigation, he turned himself in and was charged with evading responsibility resulting in property damage. He was released on a written promise to appear in court on April 3, 2025.
“We are pleased to learn of this arrest. More importantly, we are glad no innocent townspeople, or our firefighters, were injured in this act of carelessness and disregard for an emergency vehicle trying to get to a critical situation,” said East Haven Fire Chief Matthew Marcarelli.
