HUDSON – A Hudson man was arraigned on charges including OUI, second offense on Jan. 20 after a violent crash on Washington Street two days prior.
Vagner Gomez, 47, is also facing a charge of negligent operation of a motor vehicle and a marked lanes violation.
Vehicles passed officers at 60+ MPH
Officer Pat Kerrigan was conducting traffic enforcement on Jan. 18 around 5 p.m. when he saw two vehicles pass him at high speed, Police Chief Richard DiPersio explained in a statement on Jan. 19.
“It appeared the two vehicles may have been racing,” DiPersio wrote.
Det. Christopher Vezeau wrote in a statement of facts filed in Marlborough District Court that Kerrigan had estimated the vehicles’ speeds to be “well over 60 mph.”
Kerrigan activated his lights and siren and one vehicle quickly pulled over.
The second vehicle allegedly continued onward though, crashing and overturning near the intersections of Washington Street, Houghton Street and Brigham Street.
The car appeared to have crossed the centerline of Washington Street and struck a stone wall as it crashed, Vezeau wrote.
“There were parts to the vehicle strewn about the road,” he added.
Kerrigan arrived at the crash scene to find a woman removing herself from Gomez’s flipped car.
Gomez, meanwhile, was unresponsive as officers worked with a bystander to get him out of the car, according to Vezeau.
“There was a distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from Gomez as Kerrigan was dragging him away from the vehicle,” Vezeau wrote.
Police chief thanks officers
Gomez and his passenger were both hospitalized following this crash.
Police investigated the incident with help from the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council’s (CEMLEC) Accident Reconstruction Team.
Part of Washington Street was closed on the evening of Jan. 18 due to that investigation, before police announced that it had reopened just before 7:45 p.m.
“I want to thank the members of the Hudson Police Department for their tireless efforts in this investigation, as well as members of the CEMLEC accident reconstruction team for their assistance, the Hudson Fire Department and Patriot Ambulance,” DiPersio said.
Driver arraigned, released on bail
Vezeau said he visited UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester on Jan. 18, speaking with the passenger who told him that she and Gomez “had been drinking throughout the day.”
There were already 37 arraignments on Gomez’ record prior to this incident, according to Vezeau’s statement
Gomez’s blood alcohol level, meanwhile, was .247 when tested at the hospital, Vezeau added.
Gomez was arrested around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 19 after being discharged from the hospital, police said.
He was then released following his arraignment on $500 bail with a requirement to avoid drinking alcohol and to wear a SCRAM bracelet, which monitors for alcohol in sweat.
