Massachusetts: Two officers hospitalized after separate drunk-driving accidents
Police officers in Pepperell and Tewksbury were hospitalized after getting hit by drunk drivers in separate incidents less than an hour apart early Saturday, officials said.
Rosemary Miller, 21, of North Chelmsford failed to stop at the intersection of Main, Carter and Pleasant streets in Pepperell and hit an officer who was driving in a cruiser on Main Street at around 12:25 a.m., according to a statement from Pepperell police. Miller’s 2000 Honda Accord hit the front driver’s side of the cruiser, forcing the cruiser roughly 150 feet off the road and temporarily trapped the officer inside.
The driver of a vehicle traveling behind the crash helped the officer get out of the passenger side of the cruiser, police said, and the officer was taken to Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, where he was treated for minor injuries.
“This is an example of what can happen when someone gets behind the wheel after consuming alcohol,” Pepperell Police Chief David Scott said in the statement. “We are thankful [the officer] is OK. It could have been a lot worse.”
Miller was arrested on scene and is expected to face charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and failure to yield at an intersection, police said. The male passenger in Miller’s car, whose name was not released, ran away, but Scott said police know his identity.
At about 1:10 a.m., a Lowell woman was arrested for drunk driving and negligent operation in Tewksbury after she struck a police officer with her car, sending the officer to the hospital, police said.
Bridgette Dodge , 24, hit the officer, who was working a construction detail at 85 Main St., at around 1:10 a.m., according to a statement from the Tewksbury Police Department. The officer tried to stop Dodge’s vehicle, but had to move out of the way as the car headed toward him. He was then struck by the driver’s side mirror and driver’s side window as the vehicle passed, police said. The window shattered, and the officer was knocked to the ground.
Police arrested Dodge shortly after the accident. The officer was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released, police said.
Dodge is expected to face charges of operating under the influence of liquor, failure to stop for a police officer, and negligent operation, according to the statement.
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