After crash, Shawn Oliver pleads not guilty to OUI, suspending lieutenant governor campaign
Court appearance and conditions
Oliver appeared in New Bedford District Court shortly before 9 a.m. Monday. He pleaded not guilty to operating under the influence, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding and a marked lanes violation.
At the prosecutor’s request, the court released him on personal recognizance, without bail, and barred him from driving while the case is pending. His next court date is Nov. 16. Oliver told a Light reporter, “I have no comment at this time.”
Crash and police account
The crash happened Saturday around 11:40 p.m. on Dartmouth Street in New Bedford. Police said Oliver’s overturned Lincoln Navigator damaged five vehicles; two sustained extensive damage. Oliver, 42, was taken to St. Luke’s for treatment and then arrested.
A witness told police the Navigator accelerated through an intersection, veered across lanes and struck parked cars before flipping. An officer found Oliver on the sidewalk with injuries. Police reports say Oliver told an officer he had consumed at least two alcoholic beverages earlier in the night and later refused an evidentiary blood draw.
Campaign and employment status
Oliver suspended his campaign for lieutenant governor Sunday, hours after being released from Ash Street Jail in New Bedford. Voting had already begun, and he remained on the ballot as running mate to Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue. Minogue said he would ask Oliver to resign if elected.
Oliver has been placed on restricted work duty at the Massachusetts Treatment Center while officials review the facts and circumstances, a Department of Correction spokesperson said. The superintendent’s office declined to provide information about his employment status.
Earlier court record
In 2003, Oliver faced charges involving an unregistered vehicle and a license plate violation in Mattapoisett. Court records show he admitted sufficient facts in the concealment case, but the judge continued it without a guilty finding.
The records indicate he paid $50 in court costs and a probation service fee of $21 per month. The law can apply to attaching the wrong plate, obscuring plate numbers or failing to display a plate.
Key points
- Oliver pleaded not guilty to four charges, including operating under the influence.
- The court released him without bail and barred him from driving while the case is pending.
- The crash damaged five vehicles; Oliver’s next court date is Nov. 16.
- Oliver suspended his campaign but remained on the ballot after voting began.