An East Hartford man was accused of getting out of his vehicle and hitting a Department of Transportation employee who asked him not to drive in an active construction zone on Interstate 84 in West Hartford, police said .
Luis Moreno Jr., 31, was allegedly driving westbound on I-84 near Exit 41 in West Hartford around 11:58 p.m. Tuesday while the right lane was closed for construction, according to the trooper H of the Connecticut State Police.
He allegedly drove into the active construction zone, where a state Department of Transportation employee directed him to leave the area. Moreno Jr. he allegedly got out of his car, punched the employee in the face, then got back into his vehicle and drove off, police said.
The employee was taken to a hospital in an ambulance and treated for minor injuries. They had been released from the hospital by Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
When Moreno Jr. he left, a contract road worker followed him to his workplace, where they were met by state police. After a brief investigation, Moreno Jr. was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace, police said.
He posted $1,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Aug. 29, police said.
State police issued a statement reminding Connecticut drivers that road construction is common in the summer and asked drivers to anticipate construction-related delays, allow extra travel time and pay extra attention while driving construction areas.
