Rockland man charged with fourth OUI offense

HINGHAM, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) – A Rockland man was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with his fourth offense of driving a car while under the influence of alcohol.

Officers responded to a boat parking lot on Lincoln Street in Hingham after a concerned motorist called police to report an erratic driver on Otis Street at about 4:41 p.m. Tuesday. The caller told police the driver had pulled off the road into the lot.

Upon arrival, an officer questioned the suspect who, in turn, denied he had been driving and said his wife, who had just gone for a walk, had been driving. The suspect also told the officer he had come to the lot to get boat parts.

According to the officer, the suspect appeared unsteady on his feet, even as he held onto the bed of the truck. He denied drinking, despite the fact he had the strong smell of alcohol on his breath, the officer said.

The suspect was placed under arrest after he failed to submit to field sobriety tests and the truck's keys were found in the man's pocket. The officer also called the truck's owner, the suspect's wife, who said she was at home.

Richard Higgins, 49, was charged with operating under the influence (fourth offense), driving with a revoked license for OUI while OUI, and operating to endanger. He was held on $2,500 cash bail and overnight at the Plymouth County House of Correction.

Higgins was arraigned Wednesday and ordered held until his bail was posted. He is due back in court Sept. 25.

In 2011, Higgins' driver's license was revoked for eight years for prior drunk driving convictions. The fourth offense charge is based on Higgins' three previous convictions for operating under the influence (alcohol) in Quincy in 1987, in Norwell in 1995, and in Rockland in 2006.

Cox Media Group