After Four Weekends, Area Highway Surge Nets 65 Arrests, Over 1,000 Citations

The Massachusetts State Police said last month that they intendended on cracking down on area highways, and they weren't kidding.

After four weeks of a surge that puts 11 additional police officers on Routes 24 and 195, troopers have made a total of 33 drunk driving arrests, 32 non-OUI arrests, and issued 24 criminal summons. Troopers have also written a total of 1,094 motor vehicle citations.

This past weekend, six drunk driving arrests were made.

The State Police announced the surge last month after a string of area accidents, that killed a Mansfield teen.

The following is adapted from a press release from the Massachusetts State Police:

Massachusetts State Police from Troop D arrested six more drunk drivers this past Friday and Saturday night on the fourth weekend of the Routes 24/195 patrol surge.

Troopers made 12 other arrests and issued five criminal summons. Additionally, troopers wrote 338 citations for motor vehicle violations on those highways during the targeted times this past weekend.

The State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section also stopped 16 speeding trucks on Route 24 last week and conducted 23 commercial vehicle inspections.

The truck team took two trucks out of service, one for faulty brakes and another because the driver had a suspended license. Truck team troopers wrote 38 citations to truckers.

In response to a high volume of fatal and serious injury crashes, as well as wrong-way drivers, on Routes 24 and 195 in southeastern Massachusetts in recent months, from 8 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday and again from 8 p.m. Saturday through 4 a.m. Sunday.

The additional patrols, which complement regular patrols from the Middleborough and Dartmouth Barracks, will continue through the end of September.