Trooper Stops Wrong-Way Driver on I-395

A state trooper stopped a drunk wrong-way driver on southbound Interstate 395 in the middle of the night without injuries.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Accidents

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A Massachusetts state trooper stopped a pickup truck driven northbound the wrong way on southbound Interstate 395 about 12:45 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, after the driver entered at the Exit 7 interchange in Oxford. The driver, 30-year-old Daniel Macko of Worcester, was charged with drunken driving and negligent driving, and no one was injured.

Why it matters

Wrong-way driving on highways poses a severe head-on collision risk, and the incident shows how quickly a trooper's response can protect motorists traveling toward the danger. It also comes as state officials have introduced stepped-up efforts to install warning systems.

Daniel Macko, 30, of Worcester has been charged with drunken driving and negligent driving of a motor vehicle. The source does not report a court date, bail amount, or further legal proceedings.

The players

Massachusetts State Police

The state law enforcement agency whose Sturbridge barracks received multiple calls about the wrong-way driver and whose trooper made the stop.

The details

A responding trooper traveling south on I-395 radioed the state police duty office and activated his emergency lights and siren while slowing traffic behind him. The trooper narrowly avoided a head-on collision before bringing the pickup to a stop, and both parties escaped injury.

About 12:45 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1: The wrong-way driver entered I-395 at Exit 7 in Oxford.
Minutes later: The trooper alerted the duty office and slowed traffic behind him.

Legal Context

State officials have recently introduced stepped-up efforts to install warning systems aimed at alerting drivers who enter highways going the wrong way. Incidents like this one on I-395 show why those systems are being prioritized on Massachusetts roadways.

Drivers on Massachusetts highways face heightened risk when wrong-way vehicles enter at interchanges, so staying alert for erratic traffic and reporting suspected wrong-way drivers promptly to 911 can prevent serious crashes. Motorists who see a wrong-way vehicle should move to the right and slow down rather than attempt to pass.

The takeaway

Quick reactions matter on the highway: slowing traffic and warning oncoming drivers can prevent a catastrophic head-on collision, as this trooper's response showed.