Massachusetts State Police trooper charged in drunk driving crash weeks after graduating academy
TEWKSBURY – A man who graduated from Massachusetts State Police Academy just weeks ago was arrested Sunday night in Tewksbury after he crashed into another car while allegedly driving drunk.
Tewksbury crash arrest
Trooper James Doran, 27, is charged with operating under the influence of liquor and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. Doran graduated from the academy on October 9 and was in the same class as Enrique Delgado who died after a boxing exercise. I-Team sources say Doran was working out of the Leominster barracks.
The crash happened just after 11 p.m. on Main Street near Clark Road.
Tewksbury police said the car registered to Doran slammed into the back of another car. The woman who was driving the second car reported dizziness, while her passenger had a shoulder injury and felt dizzy. Both women were taken to an area hospital.
Responding officers said Doran and his passenger were both unsteady on their feet, had slurred speech, and smelled of alcohol.
Massachusetts State Police trooper arrested
An open Bud Light and half-empty bottle of vodka were found inside the car, police said.
According to court documents, the second man in the car claimed that he was driving, not Doran. Officers found that man's cellphone on the passenger side floor and damage to the passenger side windshield matched a cut on his head.
Doran later told police that he was driving the car at the time of the crash. He allegedly told police that he had had "a few" drinks earlier in the night.
An officer asked Doran to perform a field sobriety test, but he declined. Doran also refused a breath test. He was then handcuffed and booked at the Tewksbury Police Department.
Suspended driver's license
Doran was arraigned in court in Lowell on Monday and his driver's license was suspended for 180 days. He was released on personal recognizance with the condition that he does not consume alcohol. Doran is due back in court December 6.
I-Team sources say new troopers are on probation with the department for a year after graduation and can be fired by the colonel during that time.
Trooper Doran placed on administrative leave
The state police said Trooper Doran was off-duty at the time of the crash and has been placed on administrative leave with pay.
"Recognizing the serious nature of the charges, the Department placed Trooper Doran on administrative leave pending the outcome of a duty status hearing later this week," a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police said in a statement Monday night.
