Trooper Prevents Wrong-Way OUI Driver From Running Into Motorists on I-395

A Massachusetts State Police Trooper successfully stopped a wrong-way driver who was charged with operating under the influence, putting his cruiser between the suspect’s pickup truck and the motoring public in the early morning hours on Sunday.

“I want to commend this brave Trooper’s swift action to put himself in harm’s way in order to protect the traveling public from an impaired wrong-way driver in the middle of the night,” Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said. “It’s situations like this that remind us all of the dangers of impaired driving and the potential consequences to our law enforcement professionals and the public. If it weren’t for this Trooper’s courage we may have had a tragic outcome.”

At approximately 12:45 AM on November 1, Troopers from the State Police Sturbridge Barracks responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a wrong-way driver on Interstate 395 in Oxford. The initial investigation also found that the reported pickup truck had hit two vehicles in a fast-food restaurant parking lot before driving north into the southbound lanes of the highway at Exit 7.

Minutes later, north of the area in Auburn, a responding Trooper traveling south on I-395 radioed and alerted the duty office that he had activated his emergency lights and was slowing traffic behind him to protect those heading toward the wrong-way driver.

With other vehicles held back behind him, the Trooper activated his siren in addition to the cruiser’s lights in an attempt to stop the approaching wrong-way driver. The Trooper narrowly avoided a head-on collision and subsequently brought the pickup to a stop with only minor damage to his cruiser. There were no injuries to either party.

The operator, identified as Daniel Macko, 30, of Worcester, was arrested and charged with Operating Under the Influence of Liquor and Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle.

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