Mass Trooper Injured in Mattapoisett I-195 Crash

A state police trooper from the Bourne barracks was injured when his 2007 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser was rear-ended by a vehicle near a Route 195 in Mattapoisett, Mass yesterday morning.

The accident happened after a Fall River man fell asleep behind the wheel of a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am and struck the police cruiser near a road construction site on 195 West at Exit 19.

Both vehicles were damaged in the crash.

The 25-year-old car driver, Daniel Moniz, was extricated by a hydraulic tool from the vehicle. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford.

Trooper Daniel Crespi, 40, was taken to the same hospital, where he was also treated for minor injuries and released, South Coast Today reported.

Moniz was charged with driving to endanger, a marked lanes violation and driving an uninspected motor vehicle.

The crash remains under investigation.

This is the 7th accident since June involving a state trooper that was struck and injured by a motorist, some of which were drunk behind the wheel.

News Sources: Cape Cod Online, South Coast Today, WHDH, Boston Globe.