Trooper Nabs Wrong-Way Driver During Drug Arrest Off I-93: MSP

MILTON, MA — A State Trooper put a traffic arrest on a highway ramp on hold while he wrangled a wrong-way drunk driver before finishing the first arrest, which ended up being a drug trafficking collar after meth was found, state police said.

Around 1:25 a.m., the trooper saw a Mercury Milan change lanes without signaling on I-93 South in Milton. The trooper pulled the Milan over after it exited on Bryant Ave. The driver, Darryl Malloch, 38, of Dorchester, had a suspended license and was his vehicle was unregistered and uninsured, according to state police.

While the trooper was talking to Malloch and awaiting a tow truck, a Nissan Altima attempted to get on the highway via the off-ramp.

The trooper attempted to get the wrong-way driver's attention. The Nissan had started to make a U-turn when it was nearly struck by a car getting off the highway.

The trooper arrested the driver of the Nissan, a 55-year-old Weymouth man who police did not identify, on charges of OUI alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and improper operation of a motor vehicle.

When the trooper returned to the first stop, he and another trooper found about 29 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and $1,750 in Malloch's vehicle, police said.

Malloch was arrested and charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, distributing hypodermic syringes without a licenses, operating after suspension, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and failure to signal.

Malloch was held on $25,000 cash bail. He will be arraigned in Quincy District Court.

State Police photo