SHREWSBURY — On Monday, June 10, 2024, at 7:38 p.m., Shrewsbury police officers were dispatched to the area of 753 Grafton Street following a report of a suspicious person.
The “suspicious person,” was later identified as Damen L. Ruppert, 30, of Perry Street in North Grafton.
According to the Statement of Facts submitted by the Shrewsbury Police Department to the Westborough District Court, after police arrived on scene, Ruppert admitted that he struck a vehicle parked at 753 Grafton Street with his black 2012 Mazda, which then landed on its roof in the woods nearby. Police also say Ruppert was traveling about 60 mph – which is twice the posted speed limit – at the time of the accident.
“The vehicle operated by Ruppert had struck a parked vehicle, causing severe damage, and was located on its roof in the woods about 100 feet from the parked vehicle,” the Shrewsbury Police Department said in its Statement of Facts. Later adding, “While officers were speaking with Ruppert, he was observed to be unsteady on his feet, to have slow and slurred speech as he spoke, as well as bloodshot and glossy eyes.”
The officer who wrote the Statement of Facts added that he also “picked up the extremely strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” on Ruppert’s breath.
“Multiple times throughout the incident, Ruppert admitted that he had been operating the vehicle on the roadway, before the accident, and the vehicle subsequently came to its final resting stop in the woods,” the Statement of Facts said. “The way Ruppert operated the vehicle put the public in danger, as he veered off the roadway and struck a parked motor vehicle. Inside the vehicle, both a Blue Moon glass bottle and Bud Light can were located, both unsealed and empty. Ruppert refused a statutory rights and consent form requesting a blood sample to determine his blood alcohol content. He was notified his license was subsequently going to be suspended.”
Ruppert was charged with the following:
- OUI Liquor or .08%
- Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Possess Open Container of Alcohol in Motor Vehicle
- Speeding in Violation of Special Regulation (60 mph in 30 mph zone) Posted
Ruppert was arraigned on June 11, 2024 in Westborough District Court. After his arraignment, he was released on his own personal recognizance with the potential for bail revocation.
Ruppert is scheduled to appear in court again on Aug. 12, 2024, for a pretrial hearing.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from June, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
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