Worcester Man Arrested After Crash

An early morning crash on Salisbury Road earlier this week led to a man facing a number of charges, including leaving the scene of an accident, according to a Brookline Police arrest report.

Ryan Benoit, 32, of Worcester, was arrested at 1:17 a.m. on March 1, and charged with OUI drugs, OUI liquor, and leaving the scene of an accident/property damage.

An officer was called to Salisbury Road for a report of an erratic driver. While heading there, dispatch informed the officer that a station wagon had struck a snow bank and later, a tree, and then headed off toward Williston Road. The caller reported that the person might be intoxicated.

The officer located the Volvo station wagon with heavy front-end damage parked in the wrong direction up the road from the initial accident. The officer spotted a man, later identified as Benoit, holding a large bag and allegedly walking away from the car.

“It appeared as though he was about to abandon the vehicle,” the officer alleged.

Benoit declined medical attention while other officers arrived at the scene.

While talking with Benoit, officers learned that he had a gig at a club on Stuart Street and was heading home to Worcester when the accident occurred. He reportedly stated that the GPS unit told him to take a left onto Salisbury Road.

“I could smell a mild odor of alcoholic beverage coming from Benoit,” the officer alleged, before asking him how much he had to drink.

Benoit allegedly stated that the proprietor of the club had given him some drinks. The officer alleged that he was very unsteady on his feet and was slurring his speech. His eyes were also allegedly bloodshot and his pupils were dilated.

Benoit agreed to take some field sobriety tests and during the testing, the reporting officer alleged that he was “anxious and agitated” and “seemed disoriented and continually asked where he was.” He allegedly was clenching his teeth and hands and his eye movements appeared rapid and jittery.

“Benoit’s overall behavior was consistent with possible consumption of MDMA,” the officer alleged.

The officer spoke to witnesses and later, observed tire tracks in the snow bank and approximately 20 to 30 feet leading up to the tree. There was damage to the tree with vehicle pieces lodged in the bark of the tree. The car also sustained damage and its airbags were deployed. The damage and the tracks seemed inconsistent with what Benoit described, the officer stated.

Benoit was then arrested.

During processing, he was given the opportunity to take a chemical test. The booking officers also allegedly observed “several fresh track marks, consistent with intravenous drug use on Benoit’s arms,” according to the report.

Editor’s note: The following story was derived from information supplied by the Brookline Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.