Articles Posted in Drunk Driving in Massachusetts

Many people learn their lesson after the first time they are arrested and convicted of drunk driving in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, some drivers will keeping taking chances with other people’s safety until they end up in prison. A recent article from My Fox Boston is an example of someone who is alleged to be one of these repeat offenders.

Authorities in Hingham, Massachusetts say they have recently arrested a man on his fourth offense for operating a motor vehicle under the influence (OUI) of intoxicating liquor or drugs. Just before 10 p.m., defendant was driving around a rotary when an officer observed a can of beer in the passenger seat. They detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. Officers also noticed the man’s eyes were bloodshot. When asked if had been driving, officers say defendant admitted he had been drinking alcohol.

At this point, officers asked defendant to perform a series of standardized field sobriety tests, and he agreed. Officers determined he failed all three tests. When officers placed defendant under arrest for drunk driving, they performed an inventory search of his vehicle. During this search incident to arrest, they supposedly found two open beer cans under the driver’s seat and a plastic bag containing less than one ounce of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana. Police issued defendant a civil citation for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.
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According to a recent news report from My Fox Boston, Sturbridge, Massachusetts police officers arrested a man for drunk driving at a local fast food restaurant. Restaurant employees called authorities to the restaurant when 23-year-old defendant was allegedly acting in a belligerent manner and cursing at them.

Witnesses say defendant drove up to the drive through window and placed his order. When employees informed him there was a problem with his order, and they would have it ready in a few minutes, he began yelling and cursing at them. Fast food employees called the local police as defendant was driving away from the restaurant.

Authorities stopped defendant on a back road just behind the restaurant and say defendant was giving off a strong odor of alcohol and acting in a hostile manner. Police administered standardized sobriety tests, which were captured on a dash camera in a police car, and placed defendant under arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence (OUI) of intoxicating liquor or drugs.
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According to a recent news report from NBC, New York City police officers are investigating a wrong-way crash involving a car driven by an off-duty New Jersey police officer.

Authorities alleged three off-duty police officers from New Jersey were driving on a highway in New York City after leaving a strip club. NYPD says the officer behind the wheel was driving the wrong way down a highway when he crashed into a tractor-trailer driving in the correct direction. There were two other off-duty officers a former county employee in the car and when it hit the truck.

One officer in the car was killed, along with the former county employee – both passengers in alleged at-fault driver’s car. Two other police officers in the car were critically injured in the accident. The truck driver was also injured in this car accident. The extent of his injuries is not known, but authorities say they are not believed to be life-threatening.
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One of the most dangerous parts of any police officer or state trooper’s job is conducting traffic stops. While there is always the fear someone in suspect’s car may be armed and dangerous, the mere act of standing on the side of road is often the most dangerous aspect of a traffic stop.

According to a recent news article from My Fox Boston, a Milton police officer was responding to a roadside emergency along with firefighters when any officer’s worst fears was almost realized. Alleged drunk driver sped by, hitting a police cruiser, and nearly hitting an officer, one firefighter, and a civilian motorist.

The 19-year-old suspect from Farmington, Massachusetts was driving a 1994 Nissan Sentra when he allegedly reached the temporary roadblock officers had set up to deal with downed power lines and did not slow down. He is said to have blown through the closed road and hit the officer’s car. Following the alleged Massachusetts driving accident, officers conducted an investigation and questioned defendant. Authorities suspected driver to be operating a motor vehicle under the influence (OUI) of intoxicating liquor or drugs and placed suspect under arrest for alcohol-related criminal traffic charges, including OUI and reckless driving. Officers than transported suspect to their police station, where he was later released on $5,000 personal recognizance. He is scheduled to be arraigned later this month.
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According to a recent news article from NJ.com, Jersey City council member Khermhah “Chico” Ramchal was arrested and charged with alcohol-related offenses after he was allegedly involved in an early morning three-vehicle car crash.

Authorities say the 39-year-old politician was driving on the southbound side of West Side Avenue in a late model Ford Explorer when he crashed into a taxicab traveling westbound on an intersecting street. After he allegedly hit the taxicab, the victim’s vehicle lost control and hit a second victim’s car, according to witness reports.

After conducting several witness interviews and a preliminary investigation, police believe the council member ran a red light and blew through the intersection when he “t-boned” the taxicab, causing it to spin out of control and into the second victim’s vehicle. Police also say the council member had been at a catered event as part of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration the night before the early morning accident.
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While there is nothing funny about drunk driving, as it is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths each year and many more cases of serious personal injury, some of the interactions police have with alleged drunk drivers inevitably illicit a chuckle.

According to a recent news article from Cleveland.com, police pulled over a driver for weaving across marked lanes. When the officer approached the car, he said he smelled an odor of marijuana and saw vomit on the ground. The driver who allegedly smelled heavily of alcohol and was slurring his speech, first denied drinking, but then admitted to consuming several mixed drinks and beers. He is reported to have told officers he was coming from a party and looking for his girlfriend.

When the officer asked the alleged drunk driver for his license, the driver first handed the officer a card. When the officer looked at the card and asked the suspect why he handed him a McDonald’s gift card, the suspect responded “Oops, I’ll take that,” and grabbed the card back from the officer.
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According to a recent article from the LA Times, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers were responding to a suspected drunk driving related car accident when the suspect allegedly stole their police vehicle.

Authorities say they responded to a report of a crash on Interstate 15. The driver of a Ford Focus had allegedly crashed into a truck’s trailer at what they estimate was a very high rate of speed.

After arriving on scene, a responding trooper called a tow truck. A trooper handcuffed defendant and put him in the right front passenger seat of the police car. It is actually a common practice to place a suspect in the front seat if the vehicle does not have a transport cage in the rear. Authorities will typically call for a transport vehicle to take suspects to the station.

While troopers were speaking with the tow truck operator, defendant apparently was able to put his legs through his arms, getting his cuffed hands to the front of his body. He then allegedly fled the scene of the drunk driving car accident in the police car. When officers saw this, they jumped in the tow truck and told the driver to follow their police cruiser.

At this point, suspect is said to have left the highway at the next exit and turned down a dirt road before slamming into a boulder. The driver then exited the cruiser and fled on foot into an area of heavy brush. Law enforcement dispatched an air unit to locate suspect, who was quickly found and taken into custody without any further trouble.

Prosecutors charged suspect with drunk driving, resisting arrest, and auto theft.

It should be noted nobody was reported as being injured in the initial drunk driving car accident or the alleged car chase involving a stolen trooper car.
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There is no question driving a car while intoxicated can lead to a serious accident. There is also no question distracted driving, such as a reading or sending text messages, can also lead to a major car accident. According to a recent news article from the Braintree Patch, police arrested a man who was allegedly texting while driving drunk.

Authorities say they saw defendant driving his vehicle toward Holbrook just after midnight. He was allegedly driving in excess of 30 mph over the posted speed limit before stopping at a red traffic signal. His vehicle did not move for about 30 seconds after the traffic light changed to green. When police pulled defendant over, they reportedly observed driver to have glassy and bloodshot eyes. He was pulled over because, as police say, he almost swerved into a large snowbank.

Defendant supposedly admitted to officers he was texting on his phone and was on his way home from work. He allegedly also told arresting officers he consumed two alcoholic beverages before getting behind the wheel.
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According to a recent news report from TMZ, Utah police arrested former porn star Asia Carrera for drunk driving with her minor daughter in her car. Witnesses say they found Carrera passed out on a couch in her daughter’s school.

Police arrived and woke Carrera, who is alleged to have had a strong odor of alcoholic beverages. She supposedly admitted to drunk driving with her daughter in the car and took police to see her car.

Police then attempted to administer several standardized field sobriety tests, and she allegedly fell down during the walking phase of one test. Police administered a breath test, and they alleged she blew a 0.245, which is well over the legal limit of 0.08 grams of alcohol per hundred milliliters of blood. Police charged Carrera with driving under the influence (DUI) of intoxicating liquor with a minor. She was released on her personal recognizance later that day.
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Liability insurance not only covers injuries to victims in other car, but also can be used to compensate injured passengers in at-fault driver’s car. However, there is sometimes not enough coverage on a single policy to cover the full extent of all injuries.

Auto insurance liability insurance in Massachusetts has policy limits broken down into the three categories. A policy will have separate limits for a single injury, total injuries per accident, and property damage resulting from the accident. Some people have the state minimum insurance, while other people will have insurance well above the state mandatory minimums.

In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the state requires minimum coverage $20,000 per injury, $40,000 per accident, and $5,000 in personal property of others coverage. Boston drunk driving accident lawyers typically express these figures as 20/40/5. When you are riding the T and see a poster for a company advertising cheap insurance with state minimum coverage, they are talking about 20/40/5.
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