Ten more drunken driving arrests as crackdown continues on Route 24, I-195

By Sarah N. Mattero, Globe Correspondent

State troopers arrested 10 more alleged drunk drivers and gave out 283 motor vehicle citations during the fifth week of their “patrol surge” on Route 24 and Interstate 195, State Police said today.

Troopers also issued 12 criminal summonses and made eight arrests for non-OUI offenses — including three arrests of people driving with suspended licenses and the arrest of a man driving a stolen Cadillac.

State Police have been stationing 11 extra patrols from 8 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday and from 8 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday to combat drunk drivers and flagrant speeders.

On Friday morning, the State Police Commercial Enforcement Section also stopped eight tractor-trailers, three of them for speeding. The team found 11 safety violations in those trucks.

The crackdown, which began after an upsurge in deadly accidents on the roads, has so far resulted in a total of 45 drunken driving arrests, 42 other arrests, 36 criminal summonses, and 1,377 citations for various motor vehicle violations.

State Police also announced last week that they are stepping up patrols on Route 125 through Wilmington, Andover, and North Andover. The action was taken in response to growing community concerns about increased traffic and speeding, as well as a fatal crash that took the lives of an elderly couple earlier this month.

The selective enforcement patrols on Route 125 will be in operation until further notice; the Route 24 and I-195 patrol surge will continue through the end of September, State Police said.