A Boston MBTA Transit Police officer is facing serious charges after allegedly crashing his vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol. Officer Jonathan Daveiga, 29, of Boston, is currently on “modified duty” as his case moves through the court system.
Massachusetts State Police arrested Daveiga in the early morning hours of October 19, charging him with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor and failing to stop or yield. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment at Boston Municipal Court’s Charlestown courthouse and was released on personal recognizance. As of now, his next court date has not been scheduled, according to court records.
Police say they discovered Daveiga’s gray Jeep Grand Cherokee on the curb at the intersection of Leverett Circle and Nashua Street, “with the front panel of the vehicle pressed up onto a ‘no left turn’ sign.” A witness reported seeing the vehicle slowly roll through the intersection before mounting the curb and striking the sign.
During their investigation, troopers reported several indicators of impairment. According to Trooper John Cherwek, Daveiga admitted to drinking two club sodas with tequila in Downtown Crossing two hours before the incident and noted he “didn’t eat anything.” However, the troopers observed “the odor of an alcoholic beverage, his slurred speech, vomit inside and outside the vehicle, and his statements of having consumed alcoholic beverages prior in the night.”
Trooper Cherwek conducted three standard field sobriety tests: the horizontal gaze nystagmus (following a finger with the eyes), the walk and turn (walking heel-to-toe in a prescribed manner), and the one-leg stand. “Daveiga’s performance on this assessment did indicate impairment,” Cherwek wrote.
Additionally, troopers state that Daveiga refused to take a portable breath test. In Massachusetts, refusing a breath test when arrested for OUI results in an automatic suspension of one’s driver’s license.
The Transit Police Department acknowledged the incident and said appropriate notifications were made to the Massachusetts POST Commission. “We have faith in the judicial process and in the interim have placed the officer on modified duty while said process progresses through the system,” Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan told the Herald. He added that it “would be inappropriate” to comment further on the pending criminal matter.
According to state payroll records, Daveiga made $183,490 in total pay last year, including $95,240 in base pay and $80,960 in overtime. So far this year, he has earned $163,047, with nearly $79,938 attributed to overtime.
The case remains under investigation, and further details are expected as proceedings continue.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/06/was-the-vomit-that-gave-this-mbta-cop-away-oui-bust-in-boston/
