By Mary Whitfill
The Patriot Ledger
HINGHAM, Mass. — A Hingham man was charged with fourth-offense drunken driving Thursday night after driving into an ambulance that had responded to an accident on Derby Street.
Christopher Ayer, 53, was arraigned Friday in Hingham District Court and is being held pending a dangerousness hearing.
At about 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Ayer’s Toyota Camry crossed onto the wrong side of Derby Street and hit a parked ambulance, which was at the scene of a previous accident involving a drunken driver, Hingham police said.
One of the people who had been involved in the original accident was in the ambulance, but no one was hurt, police said.
A police officer standing in the road helped Ayer back his vehicle away from the ambulance and motioned for him to pull over, but Ayer turned onto Old Derby Street and drove away, police said.
The officer found the car parked in a driveway on Old Derby Street. Its lights were off and Ayer was still inside.
The officer reported that Ayer, whose eyes were bloodshot, admitted that he had had three drinks. Ayer was arrested after failing field sobriety tests.
He is also charged with operating to endanger, leaving the scene after causing property damage, failure to stop for a police officer, and failure to use care when turning.
He was released overnight on $2,500 cash bail but was taken back into custody at the arraignment. His dangerous hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Ayer had been charged with drunken driving three times before: in Hingham in 1989, in Weymouth in 1991 and in Hull in 1993.
Police said the original accident on Derby Street involved a first-offense drunken driver. The woman taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and will be summoned to court, police said.
Ayer’s car is being held pending civil forfeiture proceedings.
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