CLINTON — On Sunday, November 30, 2025, at approximately 1:21 a.m., Clinton Police Officer Brendan Rutherford was dispatched to the residence located at 296 Chace Street following a report of a single-vehicle crash in the area.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Brendan Rutherford and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“Dispatch advised that the caller reported injuries to the operator and airbag deployment,” Officer Rutherford said. “Clinton Fire and EMS were also dispatched.”
Officer Rutherford said that when he arrived on scene, he observed a white Honda HR-V with Massachusetts plates with heavy, front-end damage and deployed airbags.
“The vehicle was obstructing the southbound travel lane and appeared to have struck a tree,” Officer Rutherford said. “Patrolman Adam Prentiss, Patrolman Shane Gilman, and Patrolman Michael Frick were already on scene, along with Clinton Fire and EMS personnel.”
Officer Rutherford said Clinton EMS was evaluating the driver of the Honda, 27-year-old Courtney Tomolo.
“Ms. Tomolo was seated on the front steps of 296 Chace Street,” Officer Rutherford said. Later adding, “I asked Ms. Tomolo to explain what occurred prior to the crash. Ms. Tomolo stated that she was traveling south on Chace Street when a deer ran across the roadway, causing her to swerve and strike the tree. As she spoke, I observed that her eyes were bloodshot and that a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from her breath. Ms. Tomolo further stated that she had consumed four alcoholic beverages prior to driving, with her last drink at approximately 11:45 p.m.”
Officer Rutherford said that while Tomolo was being transported to the hospital for a medical evaluation, she “continued to discuss her alcohol consumption throughout the evening. “
“She stated that she went out to dinner at Logan’s Table in Leominster, where she consumed two margaritas, and then returned to Clinton, where she drank approximately four High Noon vodka seltzers,” Officer Rutherford said. “When asked by EMS personnel if she had consumed any drugs, Ms. Tomolo stated that she had smoked marijuana at approximately 10:00 a.m. that morning.”
Officer Rutherford said that, based on the evidence at the scene, his observations of Tomolo, and her admissions regarding alcohol consumption, he formed the opinion that she operated her vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor and that her impairment contributed to the crash.
“I advised Ms. Tomolo that she was under arrest for Operating Under the Influence of Liquor,” Officer Rutherford said. “I then read Ms. Tomolo her Miranda rights. Her left wrist was secured to the hospital bed with a handcuff for officer safety. Patrolman Adam Prentiss read the Statutory Rights and Consent Form to Ms. Tomolo. Ms. Tomolo stated that she understood her rights but refused to submit to an evidentiary blood draw to determine her blood alcohol concentration.”
Officer Rutherford said that he and Officer Prentiss maintained custody of Tomolo for the next three hours.
“At approximately 5:15 a.m., I received information from Patrolman Michael Frick that a bail commissioner was enroute to set bail and give Ms. Tomolo a court date,” Officer Rutherford said. “Approximately 10 minutes later, bail commissioner Scott Davis arrived and set bail for Ms. Tomolo.”
At this time, Officer Rutherford said he seized Tomolo’s driver’s license and advised her that her license to operate a motor vehicle was suspended.
“While at the station, Patrolman Prentiss submitted the blood draw refusal into the breath test machine, which produced a ‘notice of suspension,’” Officer Rutherford said. “I also issued a MA [Massachusetts] Uniform Citation to Ms. Tomolo that will be mailed to her residence.”
Officer Rutherford added that following the crash, an inventory of Tomolo’s vehicle was conducted before it was towed from the scene by Guaranty Auto Sales & Service.
“It should also be noted that Standardized Field Sobriety tests were not administered due to Ms. Tomolo’s physical condition on scene,” Officer Rutherford said.
Courtney F. Tomolo, 27, was charged with the following violations/offenses:
- OUI – Liquor or .08%
- Negligent Operation of Motor Vehicle
- Marked Lanes Violation
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the arrest in this story took place in November, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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