Truck lands on Worcester police car

WORCESTER — A police officer looking for drunk drivers on the road Sunday morning didn't have to go far to find a suspect; one landed right on top of his cruiser.

Police said a Worcester man allegedly sped through a Main Street intersection drunk and crashed his pickup truck, which landed on top of a police cruiser that was there to curtail drunken driving.

The officer was taking part in a statewide initiative called "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," aimed at cracking down on impaired driving.

The officer was parked in his cruiser in front of 653 Main St. when he saw a red pickup go through a red light on Main Street at Chandler Street, police said.

The driver, identified as Jimmy Ngo, 18, of 39 Lakewood St., allegedly was going south on Main Street at more than 50 mph. Mr. Ngo's truck struck a Ford Focus heading west through the intersection from Madison Street onto Chandler Street.

"The impact of the collision caused the truck to roll onto its roof and slide an additional 110 feet," police said. "The sliding truck struck the parked police cruiser, completed its roll, and landed on top of the hood of the cruiser in the upright position."

Mr. Ngo was questioned, arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving to endanger, red light violation and speeding. He was uninjured. The police officer was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.

Contact Scott J. Croteau at scroteau@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottCroteauTG