Brookline Police Follow 'Trail of Debris' to Alleged Drunk Driver

Police arrested a 22-year-old Ashland woman on drunken driving charges last Wednesday after following a trail of broken branches and discarded car parts strewn along Route 9 in Brookline Village.

The driver, Michelle Nicolas, has been charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, operating under the influence of a Class D Substance, leaving the scene of an accident, operating to endanger, operating recklessly and failure to stay in marked lanes. Nicolas was also issued a town-bylaw citation for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

According to a police report, a witness came into the station shortly before 3 a.m. on Aug. 18 and reported that he had seen a driver strike the traffic median in front of the firehouse on Route 9, knocking over a sign and bushes.

When police arrived at the scene of the crash, officers found broken branches and pieces of a car—including a wheel well—littered around the intersection. Police were reportedly able to follow a "trail of debris" to a nearby Gulf gas station, where a heavily damaged sedan was parked.

Police reportedly spoke with Nicolas, who was sitting in the car when officers approached, and asked her to perform a field sobriety test. After several attempts, officer decided Nicolas had failed and took her to the police station.

While preparing to tow the sedan, police reportedly found a small multi-colored glass pipe, the remainder of a burnt marijuana cigarette and a plastic bag containing a small amount of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana inside the car.

A witness later told police he had seen Nicolas's sedan jump over the median and turn toward oncoming traffic, forcing two cars to swerve out of the way as she came toward them.