UNION — A truck driver caught evading a commercial vehicle inspection Thursday morning had a handgun in the truck, according to state police.
Bryan Lambert, 34, of Halifax, Va., was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit and illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, state police said in a news release Friday. Lambert was later released on a $5,000 bond, state police said.
The arrest stemmed from an operation conducted by the Connecticut State Police on Thursday in conjunction with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ Commercial Vehicle Division, according to state police. Sited at the weigh and inspection station in Union, state police said, the operation was part of “an ongoing effort to improve roadway safety and reduce serious collisions involving commercial motor vehicles.”
Investigators completed 22 commercial vehicle inspections, according to state police. In total, 67 driver/vehicle violations were discovered, 12 drivers/vehicles were declared out of service and more than $43,000 in commercial fines were issued, state police said.
During the operation, Trooper First Class Mitchell Welch stopped a truck around 10:20 a.m. Thursday after noticing the truck bypass signage directing drivers to pull into the station for inspection, according to state police. Following “interactions” with the driver, identified as Lambert, state police said, a search of the interior of the truck was conducted, revealing a Smith & Wesson handgun.
Lambert was taken into custody, according to state police. He is scheduled to be arraigned at state Superior Court in Rockville at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13.
Members of the state police Traffic Services Unit’s Aggressive Driving Enforcement Team and Truck Squad were involved in the investigation, state police said.
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