Stephen O’Connell, Boston police officer, charged with OUI

A Boston police officer has been charged with drunken driving after he was involved in a crash that injured an off-duty officer.

The crash occurred shortly after midnight Tuesday, according to Massachusetts State Police said. Troopers on a traffic stop said they witnessed a crash involving two vehicles on Route 3 south in Weymouth.

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Preliminary investigation indicated that a 2023 Nissan Frontier lost control, striking an SUV, which was later identified as an unmarked Boston police cruiser. The impact sent the cruiser across the lanes of traffic, off the road, and into the tree line.

The cruiser was driven by an off-duty Boston police officer driving home after his shift, state police said. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

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Upon further investigation, the driver of the Nissan displayed signs of impairment and was placed under arrest and charged with operating under the influence (liquor), negligent operation of a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation, failure to signal, and possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

The driver of the Nissan was identified by state police as Stephen O’Connell, 38, of Hanover. They said O’Connell is a Boston Police officer.

O’Connell was booked at the Norwell barracks and released by a bail commissioner on his own personal recognizance to appear at a later date at Quincy District Court.

Boston police said in an email that O'Connell was on administrative leave from the department at the time of the incident and that remains his status pending an internal affairs investigation.