Vermont Man Is Facing Felony OUI Charges After Crash In North Adams Sends Four People To The Hospital
Ever wonder how much driving under the influence can impact someone and others? This is a perfect example.
What started off as a normal Saturday afternoon turned into total chaos on Curran Highway in North Adams. As you know, Curran Highway is no exception when it comes to vehicle accidents. Only this time, it all could've been avoided if one driver hadn't been intoxicated.
Vermont Man Faces Felony OUI Charges After Crash In North Adams
Charles Cairns, 57, of Brattleboro, Vermont, is facing felony charges for alleged drunken driving. What makes it a felony is the fact that this is his third drunken-driving offense. According to North Adams Police Chief Mark Bailey, police, firefighters, and Northern Berkshire EMS responded around 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, 2026, to a two-car crash near Duke’s Lumber, at 1526 Curran Highway.
The Berkshire Eagle reports that Cairns was driving a Toyota Corolla south on Curran Highway when it collided with another southbound Dodge Ram carrying four people. Unfortunately, the Dodge Ram flipped onto its side, and all four occupants were taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield for treatment.
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Occupants' Injury Details And Suspect's Charges
On Tuesday morning, Bailey said he didn’t know how seriously the occupants were injured and that Cairns had not been taken to the hospital. Cairns is charged with a third offense of operating under the influence and operating a motor vehicle under the influence with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or greater while causing serious bodily injury. Both charges are felonies in Massachusetts.
He is being arraigned on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at Northern Berkshire District Court.
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