GREENFIELD — A 53-year-old Shirley man was arrested on a drunken driving charge after a caller reported he was driving erratically on Route 2.
Mark L. Faulkingham was arraigned in Greenfield District Court Tuesday on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol for a second offense; negligent operation of a motor vehicle; marked lanes violation; speeding and not having his registration in possession.
According to a report by state police trooper Ryan Doherty, police received a call about an erratic operator driving on Route 2 in Gill Sunday morning. After catching up with the car on Interstate 91 south in Greenfield, Doherty wrote, he watched the vehicle drift into the left lane and then swerve into the right lane several times, crossing into the break down lane. He also recorded the car traveling 75 to 80 mph, according to the report.
After stopping the vehicle, Doherty wrote, he could immediately smell an overwhelming odor of alcohol coming from the car. He noted that the driver — identified as Faulkingham — had glassy, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and was slow to respond to questions.
Faulkingham told the trooper he had swerved because he was trying to follow his GPS and was heading to a motel, but could not tell Doherty the name of it or what city it was in, according to the report. A series of field sobriety tests indicated Faulkingham was impaired, and Doherty wrote that a preliminary breath test showed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.224 percent.
He was placed under arrest and bail was set at $240, which he could not post, and was transported to the Franklin County jail. Doherty noted that Faulkingham had a previous OUI charge out of Newbury District Court.
He was released on personal recognizance following his arraignment Tuesday on the condition he abstain from alcohol with screens and wear a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring unit.
He is due back in court Oct. 16 for a pretrial conference.