Massachusetts State Police troopers are given rigorous training, and they are expected to uphold the law, both when they are on duty and when they are not on duty. Nonetheless, occasionally, troopers run afoul of the law because they, like the rest of us, are human. A recent accident in Chicopee involving a state trooper who was alleged to have been operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol demonstrates how these finely trained officers can allegedly violate the laws they are sworn to uphold.
The trooper who is alleged to have been involved in the accident was driving a Ford F-150 when he collided with a Ford Expedition driven by a 33-year-old woman. Details of the accident have not been released by the Chicopee Fire department because the crash is being investigated by state police.
The woman driving the Expedition suffered only minor injuries, but her passenger was seriously hurt and taken to a local hospital. Another off-duty trooper was a passenger in the suspect’s truck, and he was also hospitalized for treatment of his injuries.
The trooper driving the pickup was charged with operating under the influence of liquor causing serious bodily injury, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, OUI and failure to take care in stopping. He was also placed on restricted duty pending the completing of the criminal investigation. The state police said that it expects to “further amend” the trooper’s duty assignments as the criminal investigation continues.
These charges are serious, and a conviction could mean incarceration, a significant fine and suspension of driving privileges. Anyone who faces similar charges will benefit from crafting an effective OUI defense.