William J. Halpin, III, 25, of Melrose, was arrested on Massachusetts Drunk Driving & Related Charges for allegedly killing a taxi driver and injuring a young child this past Friday in Lynnfield. He is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow morning in Peabody District Court for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, 2nd Subsequent Offense, Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class D Controlled Substance, and Vehicular Homicide.
According to the Massachusetts State Police, Halpin was allegedly driving in the Lynnfield area of Route 1 this past Friday when he struck a taxi driver in the breakdown lane. Victor Vargas, 42 of Lynn, was the taxi driver who was parked on the side of the road because his car had been involved in a minor accident with another driver. The other driver and Vargas were standing between the two cars in the breakdown lane when Halpin came and allegedly struck the other car, a Chevrolet Cobalt, then hit Vargas.
Inisde the Cobalt, however, was a 6 year old boy, who suffered serious injuries to his arm and shoulder. The child was transported to Boston’s Children’s Hospital. The driver of the Cobalt, Patricia Ediamen of North Andover, and two other passengers, a woman from Framingham and another child, were not hurt in the crash.
Massachusetts State Police responded and William J. Halpin, III, was arrested on scene. Inside his car, state troopers allegedly seized several small bags of marijuana.
There is no indication at this point whether Halpin was actually under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident, so it appears that he was charged with Massachusetts DUI Drugs simply because of his alleged possession of marijuana. Without evidence, for example, of Field Sobriety Tests, reckless driving or other indicia that Halpin was ‘under the influence of drugs to a degree that impaired his ability to operate the car safely’, it does not seem that prosecutors will have a strong case on the DUI / OUI Drugs charge, despite the seriousness of the accident.
As with all Massachusetts DUI / OUI Crimes, the penalties one faces are severe and those charged with drunk driving should immediately Contact a Boston DUI / OUI Lawyer.
Boston Criminal Defense Attorney Lefteris K. Travayiakis is available 24/7 for consultation on all Massachusetts Drunk Driving Crimes.
To schedule a Free Consultation, Click Here to Contact a Boston DUI / OUI Lawyer or call 617-325-9500.