BERLIN — A Berlin man was arrested on drunk-driving and other charges last weekend after allegedly slamming his vehicle into a Maryland State Police (MSP) cruiser with another DWI suspect inside near Ocean Pines.
Around 12:35 a.m. last Saturday, an MSP trooper was investigating a single-vehicle collision on northbound Route 589 near Gum Point Road. During the course of the investigation, the MSP trooper arrested the unnamed driver on suspicion of driving under the influence and other related offenses.
The suspect was secured in the trooper’s marked MSP patrol vehicle with a seatbelt in the front passenger seat.
The MSP patrol vehicle’s emergency lights were activated while the trooper and the suspect sat inside and waited for a tow vehicle to arrive and remove the suspect’s vehicle from a ditch on an otherwise snowy and rainy early Saturday morning.
Shortly thereafter, the MSP patrol vehicle was struck from behind by a 1997 Chevrolet Blazer driven by Denver Alan Shoemaker, 33, of Berlin, causing significant damage to both vehicles. During the course of the investigation, Shoemaker exhibited signs of impairment.
After failing to perform field sobriety tests to the trooper’s satisfaction, Shoemaker was also arrested and charged with driving while impaired, driving under the influence, negligent driving and other related offenses.
Neither of the suspects nor the MSP trooper required medical treatment. Shoemaker was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was released on his own recognizance. The investigation is ongoing.
