Man arrested in Gloucester for 7th offense OUI

GLOUCESTER, Mass. — A man was arrested in Gloucester this week after allegedly crashing into someone in a crosswalk while drunk.

This was Joseph Nally’s seventh arrest for OUI, five of the previous arrests were in Massachusetts and one in Maine.

The crash happened Monday night on Raymond Street in the Village of Magnolia while the pedestrian, Donald Blanchette, was in the crosswalk.

“It’s a tenth of a second I turned I saw him, l leaned down and pew, fly on the back hit my head,” Blanchette said. "It was pretty dramatic, I'm traumatized."

Blanchette suffered cuts and abrasions all over his body, and has been released from the hospital but said he's still trying to comprehend how the driver hit him.

“He was either blind or drunk and he was drunk,” Blanchette said.

Police on the scene said they could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from Nally, who they say admitted he didn't have a license because of prior OUI arrests.

“Do your time. You want to drink and drive and behave irresponsibility. Lock him up that’s why we have prisons for people who are a threat to the commonwealth,” Blanchette said.

Nally could now spend a maximum of five years in prison apologized to Blanchette as he was being taken away in handcuffs.

“I said look you almost killed me get out of here with the apologies. That doesn’t cut it," Blanchette said.

Nally was arraigned Tuesday on charges of OUI liquor, OUI subsequent offense, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and operating on a suspended license subsequent offense.

An Essex County Court spokeswoman said a driver's license is suspended permanently after his or her fifth OUI conviction in Massachusetts. She also said Nally's license has been suspended dozens of times - not just for OUI, but also for traffic and insurance violations.

Cox Media Group