There are bad nights, there are really bad nights, and then there are nights where two people get arrested for drunk driving in the same car within the same hour. Franklin, Massachusetts recently achieved the hat trick nobody asked for, and somehow, the police station itself became a crime scene.
It started simply enough. Around 10 p.m. on a Thursday, a Franklin police officer doing routine traffic enforcement on King Street pulled over a speeding vehicle. Standard stop. Except what followed was anything but standard. The 24-year-old driver behind the wheel turned out to be operating under the influence of alcohol, with a bonus open container riding shotgun for the occasion. He was arrested, charged with OUI, negligent operation, speeding, and possession of an open container, and his car got towed. Classic stuff, if we’re being honest. Happens every weekend somewhere in America.
But here is where the story takes a turn that would make even the most seasoned traffic cop blink twice. His passenger, who was also visibly impaired at the time of the stop, was not arrested. In what felt like an act of genuine generosity, officers gave the passenger a free ride home. Safe, sound, done. Story over, right?…