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Massachusetts State Rep. John Lawn arrested on drunk driving charge, says "I am deeply sorry"

By
Neal Riley
Digital Producer, CBS Boston
Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.
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Neal Riley

/ CBS Boston

A Massachusetts state representative arrested early Wednesday morning for allegedly driving drunk and hitting a parked car says he is "deeply sorry." Rep. John Lawn, a Watertown Democrat, is charged with operating under the influence of liquor and leaving the scene of property damage.

According to a Boston police report, a witness told an officer that they saw Lawn's SUV hit a parked pickup truck on Hancock Street not far from the State House, and then run two stop signs after 1 a.m. The pickup was left with a flat tire and side damage.

"I heard a super loud bang and just from experience I know that's usually a car accident," said Walter Thilly, who witnessed the crash as he was coming home from work. "I saw the car, like, kind of stuck to this white pickup truck right here. And it was almost like he was glued and then he kept trying to back out, back in, trying to get away. And then ended up just driving off."

"It was loud enough to wake me up, just like a loud bang," said Beacon Hill resident Christine. "Everybody's a human being at the end of the day but yes, these things can be easily prevented by those kind of safe contacts for Uber and Lyft."

State Rep. John Lawn arrested

The officer who pulled Lawn over said that he detected a "strong odor" of alcohol on Lawn's breath, according to the police report. The officer reported that Lawn's eyes "were glassy and bloodshot, and his speech was slurred."

"As the suspect stepped out of the vehicle, [the officer] noted that he had difficulty maintaining his balance," the report stated. "As he attempted to retrieve his license from his wallet, he dropped his license and one of his credit cards on the ground."

Lawn was handcuffed and taken to the Nashua Street Jail, the report said. It also noted that the 56-year-old needed help keeping his balance during booking at the jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on Thursday.

"I make no excuses"

Lawn is the chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. He was first elected in 2011.

He released a statement about the incident on Wednesday.

"I deeply regret and take full responsibility for my actions. What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses," Lawn said in a statement. "I am committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. To my family, friends, and constituents, I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry." 

The Massachusetts Republican Party is calling on Lawn to resign. House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a statement that he was "very disappointed to learn of this news."

"Driving under the influence is an incredibly dangerous and often deadly mistake, and I am relieved that no one was injured in this particular instance," Mariano said. "Representative Lawn has told me that he takes full responsibility for this egregious lapse in judgment, and that he will work to ensure that something like this does not happen again."

"I hope that there's, if anything, a big dialogue that comes out of this, more than anything else," said Thilly.

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