Amorello "extremely intoxicated" - say police, pepper sprayed, passed out on floor of stationhouse

Local police say former Mass Pike chief Matt Amorello was "extremely intoxicated" and had to be pepper sprayed to get him out of his smashed vehicle in the early hours of Saturday morning. Amorello was clinging to the steering wheel refusing to accept arrest when he was pepper sprayed. Unwilling or unable to walk he was then dragged to the police cruiser, the police report says.

At the station he slumped over and had to be supported to have his arrest photographs ("mugshots") taken.

An alcohol observation report filed by police said Amorello had "glassy blood-shot eyes," was "unsteady on his feet," and smelled of alcohol. He gave police an address of a house that was foreclosed on in January. He refused a breathalyzer test, refused to provide his drivers license, and passed out on the floor.

He was dragged to a holding cell where he spent the rest of the night, the police report says.

Car lost wheel

Amorello lost the front left wheel of his 1999 Ford Explorer SUV in the crash with two parked cars.

He drove on with his left front axle stub generating a fiery blaze of sparks as it dragged along the roadway beyond the crash site, a witness said.

Police found Amorello in the three-wheeled vehicle in a parking lot of a derelict business down the street from the crash in the north Boston suburb of Haverhill.

Today he missed a scheduled arraignment in court on charges of drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident. A district judge issued a warrant for his arrest for the no-show, but a court officer said he was in a Worcester hospital. 

Hospital officials however denied he was there.

Background

Amorello, now 52 was state senator (Repub) for Worcester through most of the 1990s. He became state highway commissioner, then was chairman  and CEO of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority 2002 to 2006.

In August that year he was forced to resign from his $223k/year job after a ceiling collapse in one of the Big Dig tunnels that the Turnpike managed.

He made rash statements that the collapse was an isolated incident. Inspections soon showed the problem was systemic to the ceiling, and that, all over, the hangers were coming loose and further collapses were imminent.

Since his exit from the Turnpike Amorello has lost a $650k house to foreclosure, lost his wife to a divorce and has been unable to find regular work.

Solar energy

He was reported to have been involved in a solar energy business.

Last year he was in the news again when a state ethics agency reported that, just before his 2006 resignation from the Turnpike, Amorello had changed the rules to benefit himself to the tune of $75k in extra severance pay.

The money is long since gone. Matt apparently lives with a brother.  He has a closeknit family who support him regardless.

Contributed to demise of Turnpike Authority

In 2009 the state legislature abolished the Turnpike Authority - in part because of Amorello's mismanagement of the Turnpike and its low public standing.

The Turnpike is now operated by the highways division of the state department of transportation.

TOLLROADSnews 2010-08-09