Driver accused of injuring trooper released
A Bridgewater man accused of drunk driving and hitting a state trooper over the weekend was set free without bail Monday morning.
State police say 24-year-old Matthew Charette slammed his car into Trooper Corey Rose's cruiser while it was parked on the side of Route 24 in Taunton at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
Prosecutors say Charette blew a breathalyzer test-with a reading more than double the legal limit. They say his blood-alcohol level was .17. The legal limit in Massachusetts is .08.
Rose was sitting in his car during a traffic stop when he was hit. He was treated and released from Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton.
Charette pleaded not guilty at his arraigned Monday in Taunton District Court. He was released on limited conditions.
Rose is the fifth state trooper to be hit by a car while on duty in the last month.
