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
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 according to I-Team sources 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.
Massachusetts State Police have not yet responded to a request for comment by WBZ-TV.
