GROTON — On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at approximately 5:44 p.m., Officer Tyler Melanson of the Groton Police Department was dispatched to the intersection of Lowell and Old Dunstable roads following a two-car motor vehicle crash with airbag deployment.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Tyler Melanson and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
Officers Peter Violette and Adam Scott also responded to the scene.
Upon arrival, Officer Melanson said he observed a white 2011 Chevrolet Silverado in the eastbound lane of Lowell Road (Route 40), which appeared to have rear-ended a blue 2024 Mazda CX-50.
“The Mazda had come to a stop by the double yellow line, and I observed the entire rear end to have been caved in due to the impact,” Officer Melanson said. “The vehicle was clearly totaled. The Chevy sustained heavy front-end damage.”
Officer Melanson said that as he was walking up to the Chevy Silverado, he was approached by a man who was identified by his Massachusetts driver’s license as Gary Higgins.
According to police, Gary Michael Higgins, 40, is a resident of Townsend, MA.
“Higgins immediately identified himself as the operator and sole occupant of the vehicle,” Officer Melanson said. “I observed him to be holding the keys to the vehicle, which he placed on the tailgate of the truck.”
Officer Melanson asked Higgins if he was injured, and Higgins said he was not.
“He stated he was driving eastbound on Lowell Road, when the sun blinded him and he struck the rear end of the other involved vehicle,” Officer Melanson said. “I requested his driver’s license and registration of the vehicle, which he provided.”
Officer Melanson said he then saw a woman sitting on a rock near the intersection of Lowell Road and Allens Trail, surrounded by bystanders.
The woman was bleeding from her nose.
“I informed her that an ambulance was on the way and would take care of her,” Officer Melanson said. “I asked her if she felt any other pain in her body to which she replied no.”
Officer Melanson then asked her to briefly explain what had happened.
“She stated she was driving eastbound on Lowell Road and had come to a stop with her turn signal on, waiting for traffic so she could take a left turn onto Old Dunstable Road,” Officer Melanson said. “She stated that while she was waiting to turn, she was suddenly struck in the rear by the pickup truck. Her vehicle’s air bags did not deploy, and she struck her nose on the steering wheel as a result of the impact.”
At around this time, Groton Fire/EMS arrived on scene and began to evaluate the woman.
Officer Melanson said she was treated and transported to Emerson Hospital.
“EMS personnel also evaluated Mr. Higgins, and he signed a [medical] refusal form,” Officer Melanson said.
Officer Melanson returned to Higgins’ vehicle to speak with him further.
“As I approached, Mr. Higgins immediately stated again that the sun had blinded him and he did not see the vehicle he struck,” Officer Melanson said. “I noted that the sun was beginning to set and would have been behind him at the time of the crash.”
Officer Melanson then asked Higgins how the sun could have blinded him when it was behind him.
“Mr. Higgins began to mumble and stated that she had ‘slammed on her brakes,’” Officer Higgins said. “While standing directly in front of Mr. Higgins, I detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. I also observed Mr. Higgins to be unsteady on his feet, and to have bloodshot and glassy eyes.”
Officer Melanson asked Higgins if he had consumed any alcohol that day and he said no.
“While speaking with Mr. Higgins, he repeatedly stated that the sun had blinded him and would talk over me continuously,” Officer Melanson said. “He also would walk away from me, circling his truck mid-conversation.”
Officer Melanson said he asked Higgins to perform standardized field sobriety tests to ensure he could safely operate his vehicle, but Higgins refused.
At around this time, Officer Melanson said he had formed the opinion that Higgins was under the influence of liquor. Officer Melanson then placed Higgins under arrest, handcuffed him, and placed him in the rear of his cruiser.
“Officer Violette conducted a crash investigation of the scene and determined that Mr. Higgins was traveling at a speed that was greater than reasonable and proper,” Officer Melanson. “I reviewed the scene also and determined that Mr. Higgins was operating in a negligent manner.”
Both vehicles were towed from the scene by CBK Towing & Recovery.
“Officer Violette performed an inventory of Mr. Higgins’ vehicle per department policy,” Officer Melanson said. “During the inventory of the vehicle, Officer Violette discovered five nip bottles of Fireball [Cinnamon Whiskey] and a one-pint can of Twisted Tea behind the passenger seat.”
Officer Melanson transported Higgins to the Groton Police Department for booking.
“While en route to the station, I detected an odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from the rear of my cruiser that was not present at the start of my shift,” Officer Melanson said. “At the station, Mr. Higgins was booked in the usual manner and afforded all applicable rights. He was advised of his Miranda warning rights which were read to him and signed by him indicating that he understood his rights.”
Higgins refused to take a breathalyzer test during booking.
While reviewing Higgins criminal history (i.e., Board of Probation record) he learned that on November 24, 2006, Higgins was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol in Marlborough District Court.
Officer Melanson explained that the listed disposition on December 21, 2006, was continued without a finding. As a result, he said Higgins would be charged with a second-offense OUI.
Gary M. Higgins, 40, of Townsend, was charged with the following violations/offenses:
- Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Liquor – 2nd Offense
- Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Speeding
“I confiscated and destroyed Mr. Higgins’ Massachusetts driver’s license per the authority of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles,” Officer Melanson said. Adding, “Bail Commissioner Matt Day arrived and released Mr. Higgins on personal recognizance. He was given his property and signed the GPD [Groton Police Department] property release form.”
After he was released from custody, Higgins was picked up from the police station by his father.
Higgins’ arraignment was scheduled for May 6, 2026, in Ayer District Court.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in May, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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