Massachusetts GOP Lieutenant Governor Candidate Shawn Oliver Suspends Campaign After Alleged DUI Crash
Shawn Oliver, 42, the Massachusetts Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, suspended his campaign on Sunday after being arrested on alleged operating-under-the-influence charges following a rollover crash involving five parked vehicles in New Bedford.
Shawn Oliver, 42, the Republican nominee for Massachusetts lieutenant governor, suspended his campaign on Sunday after he was arrested on charges of operating under the influence of liquor following a suspected drunken rollover crash in New Bedford late Saturday night.
Police responded at around 11:40 p.m. on Saturday to 448 Dartmouth St., where a vehicle had overturned after striking five parked vehicles, the New Bedford Police Department said, per Fox News Digital. Two of the five parked vehicles sustained extensive damage. Oliver, a New Bedford city councilor and Massachusetts Department of Correction employee identified by police as the driver, was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment of his injuries, then arrested and charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation and speeding. Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux told the Boston Globe that Oliver spent less than three hours in jail before being released; he is expected to be arraigned in New Bedford District Court on Monday.
“This election is too important to be overshadowed by personal matters,” Oliver wrote on social media. His running mate, GOP gubernatorial nominee Mike Minogue, had publicly urged him to suspend and said he would ask for his resignation if elected: “There is no excuse for driving under the influence.” Mass GOP chairwoman Amy Carnevale backed the decision. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said he was relieved that no one was seriously injured.
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