A Massachusetts State Police trooper was injured when an alleged drunk driver crashed into his cruiser on Interstate 93 on Sunday night.
State police said the trooper, a 35-year-old male who was not identified, was in his cruiser, stopped in the breakdown lane on I-93 north in Randolph around 7:18 p.m. when his cruiser was struck behind by a Jeep. The trooper was conscious and alert when he was taken by ambulance to Boston Medical Center.
The driver of the Jeep, later identified as Thomas Feloney, 58, of Milton, was arrested for operating under the influence of liquor, operating with a suspended license, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation, a breakdown lane violation and driving at a speed greater than reasonable.
At the time of the crash, the trooper had stopped his cruiser in the breakdown lane to conduct a motor vehicle stop of an unregistered BMW sedan, which was set to be towed, state police said. The cruiser had its emergency lights activated and was waiting for the tow truck to arrive.
State police said Feloney drove into the breakdown lane at a high rate of speed and hit the left rear side of the cruiser, pushing it into the rear of the BMW, which was being operated by an 18-year-old Fall River woman. The trooper got out of his cruiser to provide aid to the other drivers, but his injuries caused him to fall onto the roadway in the right lane, where other responding troopers found him.
Following the initial collision, the Jeep continued to travel into the left lane. Feloney was found standing outside his vehicle.
He had some minor lacerations and bruises, but declined medical attention, police said.
Several witnesses told police the Jeep was being operated erratically before the crash.
After speaking with Feloney and administering field sobriety tests, he was arrested for operating under the influence and the other traffic charges. He was booked at state police barracks in Milton and held on $5,000 cash bail. He was scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Quincy District Court.
The trooper was treated at the hospital and is now recovering at home, state police said. The driver of the BMW was not injured.
