2 troopers injured in separate traffic stops
Two Massachusetts State Police troopers sustained minor injuries over the weekend when they were struck by motorists during separate traffic stops in Sharon and Braintree, police said.
Trooper John McCarthy was approaching a car he had stopped in the breakdown lane on Route 1 northbound in Sharon at 9:49 p.m. Sunday when he was struck from behind by the side mirror of a passing pickup driven by an alleged drunk driver, said David Procopio, a spokesman for the State Police.
“He ran after the pickup truck for 125 feet yelling, ‘Stop! Pull over,’ ’’ said Procopio.
The driver, Adalid S. Arteaga, 42, of Roxbury, was charged with operating under the influence of liquor, marked lanes violation, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, unlicensed operation, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and obstructing an emergency vehicle.
McCarthy, who was struck in the back and shoulder, was treated at Norwood Hospital and released, Procopio said.
Another trooper, Eric Papkee, had stopped a motorist for speeding on Interstate 93 northbound in Braintree at 3:55 a.m. Saturday and was sitting in his cruiser in the breakdown lane processing a violation when he was struck from behind by another car, Procopio said. Papkee was treated at Quincy Hospital for neck and back pain and released.
The driver who allegedly smashed into Papkee’s cruiser, Cristo Y. Wong, 52, of Quincy, was cited for failure to take care in stopping.
The motorist who had initially been stopped by Papkee fled after the accident and was stopped minutes later by Braintree police and cited for speeding, failure to stop for police, and leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, Procopio said.
