LEOMINSTER — A Leominster police officer has been placed on administrative leave after he was charged with operating under the influence in connection with an off-duty crash in Lancaster that took place Sunday.
Leominster Police Chief Ryan Malatos said the department was notified on Sunday, Sept. 20, that one of its officers had been involved in a crash while he was off-duty in Lancaster that resulted in criminal charges.
Court documents identify the officer as Michael W. Dingman, 33, of Worcester, who has been charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation, and speeding in violation of a special regulation, in connection with the crash.
Dingman was placed on administrative leave pending an internal affairs investigation, Chief Malatos said.
According to a police report filed in court by Lancaster Police Officer Nicholas Cabral, at about 9:34 a.m. on Sunday, while Officer Cabral was monitoring traffic on Lunenburg Road, he observed a dark SUV heading south at around 85 mph in a 50 mph zone.
The SUV passed Officer Cabral. After he rounded a bend, he saw it off the road in the woods near the Fort Devens fence. The driver, later identified as Dingman, and his passenger were not injured.
Officer Cabral said that, after examining the damage to the SUV and roadway, police determined Dingman missed a curve, left the road and struck a guardrail. The impact caused the SUV to roll over and slide on its roof across the double yellow lines. It crossed onto the grass on the other side of the road, flipped over again, and came to rest upright.
After Dingman exited the SUV, Officer Cabral observed that his eyes were “bloodshot, glassy.” Officer Cabral also noticed a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” emanating from Dingman’s person while he was being evaluated in an ambulance. Later, when Officer Cabral and another officer were speaking with Dingman, they detected alcohol on Dingman’s breath and noted that his speech was slurred.
Dingman refused a breath test at the scene.
The Leominster Police Department opened an internal affairs investigation and reported the incident to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission
Dingman is expected to be arraigned Friday in Clinton District Court.
