Nov 17, 2009 6:52 am US/Eastern
Cops Drove State Senator Home Hours Before Crash
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Anthony Galluccio (file image)
WBZ
A state senator, who was involved in
a hit-and-run last month, was driven home by Cambridge police officers hours before the crash, because witnesses said he was too drunk to drive.
Sen. Anthony Galluccio rear-ended a minivan on October 4 in Cambridge and fled the scene,
claiming that he panicked. Galluccio would not say if he was drinking before the crash, but he does have a history of drunken driving charges.
THE GAS STATION INCIDENT
An attendant at a Sunoco station on Concord Ave. in Cambridge called police around 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 4 to report an intoxicated man. He told police the man, who was identified as Galluccio, was too drunk to drive home. A man at the scene told police he tried to drive Galluccio home, but the senator was unable to find his house.
Read the police report.
Police put the senator in a cruiser and drove him home themselves. After pulling up to what Galluccio thought was his house on Sunset Road, he told police he did not live there anymore. He now lived on Townbridge Street.
Officers dropped him off and returned his keys.
"The Cambridge Police Department does not have a written policy on transporting citizens, but it is not unusual for an Officer to give someone a ride," Cambridge Police Superintendent Steven Williams said in a written statement.
GALLUCCIO'S CAR
Galluccio's car was not at the gas station, and police said he did not drive to the Sunoco. "Officers did not observe him attempting to drive any vehicle," Williams said.
Galluccio's car was parked at Bashas Café.
THE ACCIDENT
About 13 hours later Galluccio hit a minivan and drove off. One person in the van was treated for minor injuries. Police were able to figure out the hit-and-run driver was Galluccio because a witness at the scene took down his license plate number after the crash.
As to why Galluccio's intoxication the previous night was not made public in the days following the hit and run, "Historically if a call for service does not involve a crime, Cambridge Police Officers have not been required to write a report of the incident," Williams said.
"In this particular case, a report was not written immediately following the incident. When a Supervisor was made aware of what occurred he directed the Officer to write a report. A report was filed at 5:51 pm on October 29th."
GALLUCCIO'S DRIVING HISTORY
According to the Cambridge Chronicle, Galluccio was convicted of drunken driving in 1984, but received a pardon from Gov. William Weld.
His license was suspended after another DUI conviction in 1997 and he was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated in 2006, but that case was dismissed.
"This is an ongoing legal process," Galluccio said in a brief statement on Monday. "Out of respect to all parties involved, I cannot comment until the process is completed."
Mass. Senate President Therese Murray told the State House News Service she was "very disappointed" in Galluccio. "The Senate will be prepared to act when there is a final disposition of his court case and all allegations," Murray said.
Galluccio is expected back in court on Nov. 20.
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