By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to Broadway last Thursday evening on reports that a driver was nodding off while his car was in motion, going through red lights.

A patrol unit caught up with the vehicle where Broadway intersects with Franklin St., a good distance from where the initial reports were called in.

Officers ordered the driver to pull over via their loudspeaker and the car came to a stop.

One of the officers approached the vehicle and recognized the driver as Mark Pantanella, 28, from previous dealing with him. The officer reported that Pantanella was glassy eyed, and that his pupils were “pinned” closed.

The officer believed that Pantanella was operating the vehicle under the influence of something, according to reports.

Pantanella was questioned as to whether or not he was under the influence of anything, and told that there had been reports of his driving erratically, at which time he reportedly stated that he was off drugs and was taking Suboxone, of which he had a portion that day.

As other officers approached the vehicle Pantanella was reportedly observed moving his arm, which appeared to show signs of hypodermic needle use, along with some blood.

According to police, Pantanella wiped blood from his arm as he was removed from the vehicle, and eventually admitted to police that there was a capped syringe filled with heroin hidden between the front seats of the car.

Police located the syringe, which reportedly contained a brown tinted fluid that officers judged to be a solution of heroin.

Pantanella reportedly admitted to officers that he had injected himself with heroin within a half hour of being stopped by police. He was placed under arrest and charged with operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs and possession of a class A drug.