Massachusetts Lt. Gov. candidate Shawn Oliver charged with drink-driving after SUV crash

Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Shawn Oliver, 42, flipped his SUV in New Bedford, struck five parked cars, and was arrested on OUI charges. He suspended his campaign the following day.

Massachusetts Lt. Gov. candidate pleads not guilty after drunk-driving arrest in New Bedford

Shawn Oliver, 42, a Republican candidate for Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor, appeared before New Bedford District Court on Monday morning on charges of operating under the influence (OUI) of alcohol, negligent operation, a marked lanes violation and speeding, masslive.com reports.

Judge Joseph Harrington Jr. ordered Oliver released on personal recognizance. He is scheduled to return to court on 16 November.

Oliver had been running on the Republican ticket alongside Mike Minogue, challenging incumbent Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Governor Maura Healey. He is also a sitting New Bedford city councillor and a Bristol County House of Corrections officer.

SUV flipped onto its roof

According to three New Bedford police reports reviewed by masslive.com, Oliver was driving a black Lincoln Navigator northbound on Dartmouth Street at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday when the incident occurred, just south of the Rockdale Avenue intersection.

A witness told officers he had been stopped behind Oliver's vehicle at a traffic light. When the light turned green, the Navigator did not move. After a brief pause — during which the witness reversed his own car to confirm the light had changed — the Navigator accelerated suddenly, drifting right and nearly striking the kerb outside New York Bagel at 571 Dartmouth Street.

The vehicle then veered sharply left to avoid the kerb, continued through the Dartmouth–Rockdale intersection, and again crossed over the yellow centre line. Police say Oliver struck five parked cars before the Navigator flipped upside down onto its roof.

Officers find Oliver standing outside, phone in hand

When officers arrived, Oliver was on the footpath speaking on his mobile phone. A bystander produced a chair; officers directed Oliver to sit, noting he was bleeding from an injury to the right side of his head.

Oliver repeatedly asked officers whether "everyone else was OK." They told him he was the sole person involved in the crash. Oliver also told officers he was "burning both ends of the wick" and that he had been "coming from a meeting with friends in Dartmouth."

Officers noted his eyes were "bloodshot and glassy" and detected "a moderate odour of alcoholic beverages." Oliver was unable to complete a field sobriety test due to his injuries and was taken to hospital.

At the hospital, Oliver told officers he had consumed at least two alcoholic beverages earlier in the evening at Black Bass Grill before going to a friend's house in Dartmouth. He later vomited at the hospital before being placed under arrest.

"After speaking with Shawn, it was determined that he was under the influence of alcoholic beverages therefore should not have been operating a motor vehicle," the police report stated. Oliver was handcuffed to his hospital bed and refused to have his blood drawn.

Campaign suspended within 24 hours

Oliver announced the suspension of his campaign at approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday — less than 24 hours after his arrest — after running mate Minogue had called on him to do so earlier that morning.

"After careful reflection, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Lieutenant Governor," Oliver said in a statement released at 2:17 p.m. "This election is too important to be overshadowed by personal matters. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me throughout this journey and ask that my family's privacy be respected during this difficult time."

Oliver's attorney could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Source: Google News MT