SOMERVILLE — On Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, at approximately 8:20 p.m., Sergeant Tim Van Nostrand of the Somerville Police Department was traveling eastbound on Mystic Ave when he observed a white Honda Accord operating at an extremely high rate of speed heading in the same direction as his cruiser.
The vehicle continued east on Mystic Ave and went airborne when it passed over the elevated pedestrian crosswalk near the Stop & Shop at 779 McGrath highway.
“I estimated the vehicle to be traveling in excess of 65mph and attempted to clock the vehicle,” Sgt. Van Nostrand said. “At one point I was traveling at 75mph and the suspect vehicle was still gaining distance on me. This section of Mystic Ave is a 35 mph speed zone.”
When Sgt. Van Nostrand reached the top of the hill approaching Lombardi Way, he saw the vehicle turn right and then turn right again onto Broadway, where it was heading in the westward direction.
“The vehicle then accelerated to a speed of approximately 50 mph in a posted 25 mph zone,” Sgt. Van Nostrand said. “I activated my emergency equipment and conducted a motor vehicle stop at the intersection of Lincoln Street and Arlington Street.”
Sgt. Van Nostrand approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Mark Reuter.
Reuter, 27, is a resident of12 Highland Ave in Somerville.
“I informed Reuter I was stopping him for his excessive speed, to which he replied he was trying to get his boss home,” Sgt. Van Nostrand said.
Reuter’s boss – whose name was redacted from the report – was the registered owner of the vehicle and sitting in the passenger seat.
“During this initial interaction, I observed Reuter’s eyes to be watery and bloodshot,” Sgt. Van Nostrand said. “I also observed his speech to be slurred, and I detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath as he spoke to me. I requested his driver’s license to which he provided a MA liquor ID card. I inquired if he possessed a driver’s license, and he informed me he only had a permit.”
Sgt. Van Nostrand asked for a driver’s license from Reuter’s boss, who provided the officer with a valid Massachusetts driver’s license.
Sgt. Van Nostrand noted that he could smell alcohol on Reuter’s boss’s breath, and observed that his eyes were watery and bloodshot.
“I asked Reuter to remove the keys from the ignition and hand them to me. I asked Reuter if he had anything to drink tonight, to which he replied he had not,” Sgt. Van Nostrand said. “I asked him if he had taken any medication, and he replied he had not. I requested both occupants to stay in the vehicle, and I returned to my cruiser and requested an additional cruiser to respond to assist.”
Shortly thereafter, Officer Ashley Catatao and Sgt. Samir Messaoudi arrived as backup.
“I returned to Reuter and requested he exit the vehicle,” Sgt. Van Nostrand said. “At the rear of his vehicle, I advised him I believed he had been consuming alcohol and asked that he is truthful with me. Reuter then admitted to consuming one 12-ounce beer at his job in Arlington. After some further casual conversation, Reuter then admitted to consuming two 12-ounce beers.”
Officer Van Nostrand asked Reuter if he would perform field sobriety tests and he complied. Officer Van Nostrand then asked Sgt. Messaoudi to perform the field sobriety tests because he is Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) certified.
“During the tests, I attempted to speak with [Reuter’s boss]. [He] appeared to be intoxicated, and he was unable to have a conversation with me,” Officer Van Nostrand said. “Upon completion of the tests, Sgt. Messaoudi informed me that Reuter had failed all tests administered. I then informed Reuter he was being placed under arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol.”
Reuter was handcuffed and transported to the Somerville Police Station for booking by Officer Mark Canty.
Sgt. Van Nostrand stayed on scene and performed an inventory of the vehicle, where he found an open bottle of Tito’s vodka on the floor in the backseat.
“The bottle was approximately half full, and was disposed of,” Sgt. Van Nostrand said.
During booking, Reuter agreed to take a chemical breathalyzer test. The test resulted in a 0.24% BAC. As a result of the failure, Reuter’s Massachusetts Learner’s Permit was seized.
Reuter was charged with the following:
- Operating Under the Influence of Liquor
- Operating to Endanger
- Speeding
Disclaimer: The account and quotations in this article were taken from the Somerville Police Department’s weekly arrest log.
