According to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, a Brookline firefighter was arrested on charges of drunk driving and hit-and-run in connection with a serious car accident in which he allegedly crashed into to two vehicles and fled the scene. He was already arraigned in Middlesex County.

mPIXIhIAuthorities say the 34-year-old defendant was charged specifically with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor (OUI), leaving the scene of a personal injury, and he was cited for several other moving violations. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it is typical to be given non-criminal moving violations in addition to any criminal charges. One can be charged with reckless driving and also cited for a marked lanes violation in connection with the same incident. Continue reading

According to a recent article from the Boston Globe, a 29-year-old man involved in a Boston car accident was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Authorities state the victim was a passenger in a car that allegedly crashed into a utility pole in Weymouth. There were two other passengers in the car who were injured, and first responders took them to a local level-one trauma center in the greater Boston area.

1316049_untitledAuthorities also state driver of the car that crashed into the telephone pole was charged with motor vehicle homicide and given several moving violation citations. He is currently being held on $25,000 cash bail, and police are continuing to investigate cause of the deadly traffic accident. Continue reading

When we use the term alcohol-related car accident, we are generally talking about a case of drunk driving. However, according to a recent news article from My Fox Boston, a driver allegedly crashed into a liquor store in Worcester.

754020_texture_mashupAuthorities say two cars crashed into each other on Main Street around one in the morning.   As a result of the traffic accident, one car ended up crashing into a liquor store, causing substantial damage to the car and the store.   The owner of the store estimated that between the damage to the structure, which was quite extensive, and the lost inventory, there was an estimated $25,000 to $35,000 in total damages. Authorities are also reporting that, just after crash, several people used this as an opportunity to enter the store and steal items from the shelves. Continue reading

According to a recent news story from the Boston Globe, a man from Plympton, Massachusetts was arrested for allegedly causing two drunk driving crashes in Boston on the same Sunday afternoon. Authorities say Massachusetts State Police troopers were called to the scene of a crash around 3:30 in the afternoon on the Mass Pike. Witnesses say defendant’s car, a 2003 Subaru Forester, struck a BMW being driven by a 36-year-old man. When the Subaru hit the BMW, it caught on fire. When troopers arrived, they immediately became convinced defendant was operating the vehicle under the influence.

barsignFirst responders arrived at the scene, and fire department personnel were able to quickly suppress the fire. Trooper became immediately suspicious that suspect was under the influence of intoxicating liquor and began to perform standardized field sobriety tests. While they were speaking with suspect, another trooper ran a description of the car and driver through the BOLO (be on the lookout) system and determined he was suspected of being in a hit-and-run accident earlier that same day and had fled the scene. Continue reading

For years, people have been recording themselves and making online videos for people to watch and comment on. More recently, we have seen apps that let people broadcast themselves live and interact with their views and commenters. As one might expect, people do some pretty stupid things on these apps with people watching, and, according to a recent news report from News 10, one Florida woman decided to broadcast herself while drinking in her car and driving under the influence, and this broadcast resulted in an arrest.

thirstyAuthorities say the woman was using Periscope, a livestreaming app owned by Twitter, at the time of her arrest. The 23-year-old woman allegedly said, “I think I’m drunk, let’s see if I get a DUI, I don’t think I will.” She was holding her smartphone while taking the video and describing how she went out dinking and decided to broadcast her drunken ride home. At one point she said she thought she had a flat tire and discussed how she was driving through a red light. She also repeatedly said, “driving drunk is not cool, this is bad guys.” Continue reading

When we think of drunk driving, we are normally thinking of a person under the influence of alcohol, or sometimes drugs, who is behind the wheel of a car or truck. However, to the surprise of many, you can also get arrested for drunk driving in many non-traditional, or even non-motorized, types of vehicles. This can include unpowered bicycles or even scooters.

According to a recent news article from Click Orlando, a man in Florida was arrested for allegedly riding a motorized wheelchair while drunk. Authorities say the 54-year-old defendant was blocking traffic on a bridge with his powered wheelchair. They said someone called 911 and reported an intoxicated man on the bridge obstructing traffic on the bridge. Police further say that, when they arrived at his position, he did not follow their instructions. Police also say he refused to take an alcohol breath test and refused medical attention for an open wound on his body. Authorities ran his criminal history, and he allegedly had two prior convictions for drunk driving. Continue reading

According to a news report from The New York Post, an NYPD officer crashed his car into a guardrail in the city. When other officers arrived at the scene, they immediately suspected officer was under the influence of alcohol.

sig-40-and-badge-158060-mHe was found in his crashed car with two flat tires, and he allegedly had a bottle of vodka in the passenger side of the vehicle. The suspect was off duty at the time and was alone in his vehicle. Authorities say they administered a breath alcohol concentration (BAC) test, and it was determined he had a BAC of .43 grams of ethanol per hundred milliliters of blood. Continue reading

In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the technical name of a drunk driving criminal charge is operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There is no question that driving while on drugs can be just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated with liquor.

marijuana-plant-52691-mThis is the focus of recent article from CNN. According to the author, driving under the influence of marijuana has increased, as has driving under the influence of other types of drugs. National statistics show that the percentage of drugged driving rose from just over 12 percent on 2007 to more than 15 percent last year and the year before. This data did not come from chemical testing of suspects after they were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but rather the results of voluntary roadside surveys conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety information (NHTSA). It was not only based upon questions asked of the drivers, but blood and saliva samples were also taken. Continue reading

When we think of drunk driving, we typically think of someone driving a car or truck while intoxicated. It is also important to understand that drunk driving doesn’t always have to involve a car. A person can be charged with drunk driving on a bicycle, pedicab, scooter, or anything else with wheels, with the one exception of a wheelchair. The reason a person cannot be charged with drunk driving in a wheelchair is because it would be discriminatory and the same as charging a person with a crime for walking while drunk.

scooters-2-1422147While it may seem strange to charge someone with the crime of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs (OUI) on a non-traditional vehicle, the Massachusetts legislature made the law this way because, for example, driving a moped while drunk is dangerous and can result in a serious accident. Continue reading

Drunk driving is a crime, and in some ways it is like any other crime. However, there are several things that separate drunk driving from other crimes. One of these things is that many drunk drivers do not have a past criminal record. Even though drunk driving is dangerous and can and does result in deadly car accidents, the average drunk driving offender is not exactly a career criminal.

1316049_untitledHowever, when a first-time drunk driver gets convicted of drunk driving, one would expect that he or she would learn his or her lesson and never do it again. This does not seem to be the case, as drunk driving has one of the highest recidivism rates year after year. Continue reading

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