Marshfield police officer accused of driving drunk in off-duty, head-on car crash

A Marshfield, Massachusetts police officer has been placed on leave and is facing multiple charges after he allegedly caused a serious head-on crash while driving drunk last weekend.

Marshfield Police Chief Phillip Tavares said on Thursday that Officer Richard Perry was off-duty, drunk and speeding in a Jeep on Route 139 just after 9 p.m. Sunday. He allegedly crossed over to the other side of the street to pass a car, then crashed head-on into an oncoming Honda Civic. Perry's Jeep hit another car, flipped over and landed on its roof.

"It sounded like an explosion," said witness Michael Torchetti. He was at home when the crash happened and sprang into action with his neighbors. "We backed off because we could see there were flames coming out of the dashboard."

The Honda driver ended up trapped in the wreck and had to be rescued by Marshfield firefighters using the "jaws of life" hydraulic tools to take apart the wreckage. That driver and Perry were taken to hospitals. The chief said both had serious, but not life-threatening injuries.

The family of the woman in the Honda told WBZ-TV she's in intensive care and has had three surgeries to repair extensive injuries.

Perry was put on administrative leave after the crash.

"This department is committed to full transparency and accountability," Tavares said in a statement Thursday, four days after the crash.

"A full and complete investigation is being conducted into this incident. The fact that the operator was a police officer will not alter the scope, direction, or integrity of this investigation in any way."

Perry was originally charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation, and speeding, but Tavares said more charges were possible once they got the results of a toxicology report. Later Thursday, Perry was also charged with felony operating under the influence of alcohol while causing serious bodily injury.

"To the victims and their families, I want to express my sincere concern and sympathy for what you have endured as a result of this incident," the chief said. "Violations of the law or department policy is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by this Department."

According to the Marshfield Police Facebook page, Perry joined the department full-time in 2022.