CLINTON — On Saturday, September 13, 2025, at approximately 7:35 p.m., Officer Michael Fazio of the Clinton Police Department was dispatched to 10 Ridgefield Circle after dispatch received a call from BMW’s response center reporting an airbag deployment in the area.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Michael Fazio and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“At that time, I responded to the area with Detective Christopher Cornelius,” Officer Fazio said. “It should be noted that this condominium complex is not gated, has United States Postal Service mailboxes located on the property and regularly has delivery services coming through the property conducting business.”
When Officer Fazio and Detective Cornelius arrived on scene, they located a grey 2023 BMW with Massachusetts plates that had crashed into a tree off the roadway.
“The vehicle had heavy frontend damage as well as all airbags deployed inside,” Officer Fazio said. “I approached the vehicle and observed a female leaning up against her car. Where she was standing, the ground was not level due to being on a slight hill. As I approached her, I could detect a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her.”
Officer Fazio asked the woman what happened.
“The operator, later identified as Karen Madigan, told me that she was watching a band at the conference center and was on her way to her friend’s house up the road. When she spoke, her speech was slurred and thick-tongued,” Officer Fazio said. “I also detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating off her breath. She also told me that she did not know how she drove off the road.”
Officer Fazio asked Madigan if she was injured and assured her that an ambulance was on the way. Madigan told Officer Fazio she was okay and did not need to go to the hospital.
“While I spoke to her, I noticed that her eyes were red, glassy, and bloodshot,” Officer Fazio said. “I continued to have a conversation with her. She told me that she had a few alcoholic beverages while she was watching a band.”
After the Clinton Fire Department arrived, personnel asked Madigan if she wanted medical attention.
“I observed that Madigan was having difficulty standing. She used the hood of her vehicle to keep her balance,” Officer Fazio said. “Once the fire department determined that she refused any medical attention, I directed her to walk out of the wooded area and to the road.”
Officer Fazio said Madigan had a difficult time walking and was unsteady on her feet.
“She needed to hold on to my arm for balance,” Officer Fazio said. “I asked her more about how much she had to drink. She stated that they were loyal brand drinks. She also stated to me that she had a couple of shots, adding that she poured them in the drink.”
Officer Fazio said he asked Madigan how much she had to drink. She told him they were Loyal brand drinks and added that she had poured a couple of shots into them.
Officer Fazio then asked Madigan if she would perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs).
“After we were on the road, I asked Madigan if she knew the Alphabet and requested that she recite the Alphabet from ‘A’ through ‘Z’ without singing or rhyming it,” Officer Fazio said. “When she did the test, Madigan, in a rhyming tone, sang and slurred the alphabet and stopped halfway through. I gave her a second opportunity to recite the alphabet from ‘A’ through ‘Z’ and again, she had a difficult time reciting it. I noticed while she stood in front of me that she was swaying back and forth.”
Officer Fazio said that after Madigan finished the test, she almost lost her balance and grabbed onto his arm in order to hold herself up.
“At this time, I directed her to walk over to my cruiser to wait for the fire department to get the paperwork ready to have her sign a refusal for treatment. Due to her level of intoxication, she had a difficult time with her balance, Firefighter Kenny Janda and I assisted Madigan to my cruiser,” Officer Fazio said. “. Once at my cruiser, she continued to talk about drinking alcohol and refusing to get a ride home from friends. I noticed that she had difficulty with balance and was swaying in a circular motion and almost falling forward, and then backwards into my cruiser.”
After she signed the medical refusal form, Officer Fazio advised Madigan that she was under arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol and placed her into handcuffs.
“I then put her in the rear of my cruiser and waited for the tow,” Officer Fazio said. “Prior to the tow arriving, I conducted a motor vehicle inventory. On the floor of the front driver’s side seat, I observed an empty can of Loyal brand alcoholic beverage.”
Officer Fazio said a man from the area approached him while he was conducting the inventory to inform him that there were car parts up the road from where the vehicle crashed.
“Det. Cornelius and I further investigated,” Officer Fazio said. “I observed fresh damage to the tree with pieces of a wheel broken off around it. After Madigan’s vehicle struck the tree, it appeared to have veered left and drove off the left side of the road and crashed into another tree. Det. Cornelius took photos of the scene.”
Officer Fazio then transported Madigan to the Clinton Police Station.
“During booking, she was afforded all applicable rights given to any arrested person,” Officer Fazio said. “During the booking procedures, Madigan continued to show signs of intoxication. She requested to use the bathroom, had a difficult time walking and standing without swaying. Madigan also repeatedly asked the same questions. I read and explained her statutory right to a breath test form. She agrees to take a breath test and checked the ‘Yes’ box indicating that she would take the test. She requested to use the bathroom a second time. After I observed her for 15 minutes, I instructed her on how to perform the breathalyzer. She was given multiple opportunities to take the test and could not correctly perform it without causing an error.”
At that time, Officer Fazio informed Madigan that her breath test would be recorded as a refusal.
“A notice of suspension was placed with her property,” Officer Fazio said. “After booking was complete, I notified the bail commissioner, and she set bail. I issued her Massachusetts Uniform Citation [# redacted].”
Karen Maria Madigan was charged with the following:
- OUI – Liquor
- Operating to Endanger
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in September, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
To learn more about News Link Live’s unique business model, please read the following:
An online business model that could replace local newspapers
Why The Leominster Champion Failed
The Medium is the Message by Marshall McCLuhan
The Ego and the ID by Sigmund Freud
