By Jim Clark

A police officer in route on assignment noticed a utility truck sitting motionless at the intersection of Broadway and Central St. at approximately 2:00 a.m. Monday morning.

The officer stopped to investigate and reportedly observed that a man, later identified as Nicholas McLoud, of Dorchester, was sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, and apparently unconscious. The officer further noted that the trucks engine was running and idling.

The officer attempted to wake McLoud by tapping a flashlight on the driver’s side window, and after several attempts the man appeared to come to and he sat straight up. After about ten seconds, however, McLoud closed his eyes again and appeared to have drifted off once more.

Again, the officer banged on the vehicle’s window in an attempt to awaken McLoud. At one point he appeared to regain consciousness and moved his hand toward the truck’s gear shift, at which time the officer shouted for him to not move the vehicle and to turn off the engine.

McLoud then reportedly removed his hand from the gearshift but drifted back to sleep again without switching off the truck’s engine.

A backup police unit arrived and an officer gained entry into the truck’s passenger side and turned off the ignition.

Once the vehicle’s doors were opened, police reported that there was a strong odor of alcohol present inside and an open container of beer was found in the center console.

When asked if he was all right, McLoud reportedly asked the officers, “What’s going on?”

McLoud was removed from the vehicle and administered a series of field sobriety tests, which he reportedly failed.

He was place under arrest and charged with violation of city ordinance open container and operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor.