GROTON – On Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at approximately 9:07 p.m., Groton police were dispatched to Old Ayer Road following a report that a car crashed into a telephone pole.
According to Groton Deputy Police Chief Rachael Mead, when officers arrived on scene, they observed a gray Toyota Tacoma blocking a lane of travel after striking a telephone pole.
The truck, which had sustained heavy front-end damage, snapped the telephone pole in half at the base.
Police identified the driver of the truck as Mackara Chea of Lowell.
Deputy Chief Mead said Chea told police he was on his way home from a friend’s house in Acton when he swerved to avoid an animal in the roadway, lost control of his vehicle, and struck the pole.
While speaking with Chea, police detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. Police also observed that Chea had glassy eyes and was unsteady on his feet.
Deputy Chief Mead said that when officers asked Chea if he had consumed any alcohol, he initially stated that he had not.
But after officers told him they could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person, Chea stated that he had consumed three bottles of beer earlier.
Following an investigation into the crash, police determined that Chea had been operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, Deputy Chief Mead said.
Mackara Chea, of Lowell, was arrested and charged with the following:
- OUI-Liquor, Second Offense
- Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Marked Lanes Violation
Chea was arraigned in Ayer District Court.
