Mass. Trooper In Fatal Crash Faces Arraignment

A state trooper involved in an off-duty car crash that resulted in the death of a Carver woman and her daughter had a blood-alcohol level two times the legal limit to drive, according to the police report.

John Basler was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Plymouth on charges including drunken driving in connection with the Sept. 22 crash.

Basler, 25, was driving home to Kingston after a party, according to the police report, where friends told investigators he had one or two beers.

Basler, sworn in as a state trooper last year, has not spoken to investigators but said to officers at the scene of the crash in Plymouth that he had no recollection of it. He also had a gun in the car, according to police, which was found later in the bushes nearby. He was also charged with improper storage of a firearm.

Basler did not appear intoxicated to officers, but his blood-alcohol content was .19, according to police.

Susan Macchi, 64, and her 23-year-old daughter, Juliet Macchi, died as a result of the head-on crash in the early morning hours as they returned home from a Red Sox game. The car driven by Susan Macchi appeared to have drifted into the oncoming lane, according to the original police report. The younger woman graduated from Harvard University last year.

Basler was also injured.

Other drivers and police said roads were slick after a heavy downpour.

Basler's lawyer could not be reached for comment. He has been placed on unpaid leave by state police and could face further discipline, depending on the outcome of the case, a department spokesman said.