Rt. 24 patrol surge nets 9 OUI arrests

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (WPRI) - Massachusetts State Police arrested nine people on suspicion of driving drunk on Rt . 24 and I-195 during the first weekend of a new patrol initiative aimed at cracking down on impaired, distracted, and aggressive drivers.

This past weekend was the first in which Massachusetts State Police Troop D deployed 11 additional patrols on Routes 24 and 195 on Friday and Saturday nights.

The patrol surge was announced last Thursday in the wake of frequent crashes causing fatalities and serious injuries in those areas of Southeastern Massachusetts.

In addition to the nine drunk driving arrests, State Police also made one other felony arrest, six misdemeanor arrests, issued criminal summons to nine drivers and wrote 222 motor vehicle citations.

The Arrests

Two drivers were arrested on OUI charges Friday night, while seven more were arrested Saturday night. Troopers said one of the drivers arrested drove the wrong way on Route 24 south near Exit 10.

At 1:35 a.m. Saturday, troopers responded to a two-car crash on Route 24 northbound, north of Exit 8, in Freetown that sent two people to Rhode Island Hospital with injuries.

One of the injured, Jose Perez, 49, of Brockton, was charged with operating under the influence, negligent operation, and marked lanes violation.

The other victim is a 24-year-old woman from Middleboro. Both drivers had serious injuries believed to be non-life threatening.

On Sunday, at 3:15 a.m ., State and Berkley Police intercepted another wrong-way driver on Route 24 in Berkley. They said the driver was traveling north in the southbound lanes of Route 24.

Police identified the driver as Nicholas Pilla , 25, of New Bedford. Police observed his eyes to glassy and bloodshot and say they smelled an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath.

A trooper had Pilla perform numerous field-sobriety tests and determined he was operating under the influence of alcohol. Pilla was charged with OUI liquor and negligent operation.

The extra patrols run from 8 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday and from 8 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday, and will continue through the end of September.