DRACUT — Chief of Police Peter Bartlett reports that the Dracut Police Department charged a 42-year-old Dracut man with operating under the influence of drugs and several other offenses after he drove his pickup truck into a marked Dracut police cruiser on Broadway Road.
ZACHARY GAUD, AGE 42, OF DRACUT, will be charged with:
- Operating Under the Influence of Drugs
- Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident
- Marked Lanes Violation
- Failure to Wear Seat Belt
On Tuesday, March 7, at 7:39 p.m., Dracut Police responded to a report of a red pickup truck being driven erratically on Broadway Road.
As officers were responding, a Dracut Police sergeant driving a fully marked cruiser was struck head-on by a red pickup truck driven by GAUD while traveling on Broadway Road.
Dracut Police discovered GAUD unconscious behind the wheel, and administered first aid and two doses of Narcan before he woke up and was turned over to the care of Trinity EMS.
An on-scene investigation revealed that the same truck had also struck a white Infinity sedan elsewhere on Broadway Road, but that GAUD allegedly continued driving until the collision with the Dracut Police cruiser.
GAUD was transported to a local hospital for treatment and will be summonsed to court at later date.
Neither the police officer nor the other driver who was struck were injured.
“I am thankful that no one was seriously injured in this incident, which clearly shows the danger of driving under the influence of drugs,” said Chief Bartlett. “Drivers who get behind the wheel while impaired put the entire community in danger. We will make every effort to hold those drivers accountable. This crash could have severely injured not only a Dracut Officer but others as well.”
Charges represent accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt under the United States Constitution.
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