Crime
Police say the wrong-way driver is facing charges of drunken driving and negligent operation.
Massachusetts State Police Logo Charles Krupa/AP Photo
A Massachusetts State Police trooper, his K-9 partner, and another driver were injured early Saturday when an alleged drunk driver traveled the wrong way on Interstate 91 in Chicopee and crashed into a cruiser and another vehicle, authorities said.
Jose G Santiago, Jr., 28, of Holyoke is being arraigned in Chicopee District Court on Monday on charges of driving under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, window obstruction, and a marked-lane violation, according to court documents.
In a statement of facts filed by a State Police trooper, the police received multiple 911 calls around 4 a.m. on Saturday reporting a wrong-way driver on Route 91.
In an attempt to stop the driver, later identified as Santiago, and warn others, they conducted a rolling roadblock with their emergency lights activated.
Troopers positioned their vehicles in the path of Santiago’s car, which passed one trooper at a high rate of speed before striking another trooper’s vehicle and then hitting another car head-on.
The police said the crash left a large amount of debris.
After the crash, the police said they saw Santiago leave his car and begin “staggering around.” The trooper reported that Santiago’s speech was slurred, he was unsteady on his feet, and his eyes were glassy.
A breathalyzer test showed Santiago had a reading of 0.19%, more than double the legal limit of 0.08%, according to the report.
A search of Santiago’s vehicle revealed three unopened Coronas from a six-pack, State Police reported.
Based on observations, a trooper arrested Santiago.
In a statement shared online over the weekend by Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble, he said that first responders transported the trooper who was struck, his K-9, and the driver of the other vehicle to a local hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Noble said that all of them are expected to recover.
“The incident we witnessed this morning in Chicopee is another reminder of the danger created when someone makes the reckless decision to drive while impaired,” Noble said in a statement.
Noble added that, since the loss of Trooper Kevin Trainor in early May, this marks the third incident in which a wrong-way driver has struck a trooper. The incidents have prompted legislative changes.
“These incidents demonstrate the risks our troopers and all of law enforcement face every day on our roadways,” he continued.
Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.
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