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Man charged with OUI after allegedly driving the wrong way for 3 miles on I-95 through Newburyport
The driver, 36-year-old Paulius Balciunas of Worcester, was also charged with resisting arrest after leading police on a 30-minute pursuit through several North Shore communities.
A Worcester man is facing multiple charges after state police say he drove the wrong way for nearly three miles on Interstate 95 near Newburyport on Christmas night and led officers on a 30-minute pursuit through several North Shore communities.
Paulius Balciunas, 36, was arraigned Friday in Newburyport District Court on charges including operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs, failure to stop for police, resisting arrest, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, driving in the breakdown lane, and speeding, according to a report by The Boston Globe.
State police said troopers were dispatched around 9:30 p.m. Thursday after receiving reports of a wrong-way driver traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-95.
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Troopers later located the vehicle — a black Subaru sedan — on Scotland Road heading toward Newburyport, where it allegedly refused to stop for police and continued traveling against traffic, according to officials.
About five minutes later, police spotted the Subaru traveling roughly 50 mph on Low Street in Newburyport while still operating on the wrong side of the roadway. Authorities said the vehicle struck two other cars on Low Street and continued toward Storey Avenue without stopping.
At 9:40 p.m., officers saw the vehicle traveling on Storey Avenue, still in the wrong lane and at speeds of approximately 55 mph, heading toward West Newbury. Due to the dangerousness of the situation, authorities deployed the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing.
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Police said the vehicle crossed into Groveland near the Pentucket area around 9:45 p.m., at which point state and West Newbury police stopped their pursuit. Groveland police then picked up the chase as the car continued along Seven Star Road, still operating on the wrong side of the roadway, and, according to police, “weaving across lanes.” Officers attempted to deploy stop strips but were unable to do so in time.
Authorities said the vehicle sped through multiple intersections without stopping and continued driving erratically. The Subaru later traveled onto Route 1 in Newbury, where a Groveland police officer reported seeing the driver waving an unidentified object from the vehicle. Police said they were unable to determine what the object was.
At that point, officers said the vehicle was traveling at speeds exceeding 60 mph and narrowly avoided a head-on collision.
The pursuit ended around 10 p.m. near High and Auburn streets in Newburyport, where the Subaru came to a stop. The State Police Air Wing remained overhead as officers from multiple agencies approached the vehicle with guns drawn.
A state police spokesperson told the Globe that Balciunas ignored repeated commands to exit the vehicle, show his hands, and turn off the engine.
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“After several minutes, troopers assumed a position to see the suspect’s hands and make an approach,” the spokesperson said. “Troopers and officers removed the suspect from the vehicle.”
Balciunas was taken into custody at approximately 10:08 p.m. Police determined he was allegedly under the influence of drugs and transported him to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to officials.
The Subaru was towed from the scene, and roadways that had been briefly shut down due to concern for public safety were reopened.
Balciunas was held on $5,000 cash bail and is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 14.
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