Police found Kevin Laperle of Chicopee slumped behind the wheel in a car stopped in the passing lane on I-91 and initially believed he was under the influence.
This is an update of a story originally posted at 9:21 a.m.
CHICOPEE - A man found slumped behind the wheel in a car stopped in the passing lane of I-91 by the Chicopee Curve Tuesday morning turned out to be having a diabetic episode, state police said.
The disabled car caused a traffic tie up beginning at about 9 a.m. in the northbound lane of I-91 as cars tried to squeeze around him, state police said.
Police found the driver, identified as Kevin Laperle, 51, of Chicopee, behind the wheel and “in a stupor,” and initially believed he was impaired from drugs, said State Police Sgt. Alan Joubert.
When police tried to get Laperle out of the car, he fought was officers and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and operating under the influence of drugs, he said.
An investigation at the hospital determined he was having a diabetic reaction, and was not impaired from drugs, state police said.
Laperle had nothing with him, such as a medical alert bracelet, to indicate he had a medical condition, according to state police.
The state police intend to petition the state Registry of Motor Vehicles to have his revoked on the grounds his medical condition makes him an immediate threat to public safety.
According to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, the registry has the authority to suspend or revoke a license or learner’s permit without prior notice if it is determined the holder has a medical condition that could interfere with operation of a vehicle.
In most cases, the registry is notified by the police requesting action. If the registry
upholds the request, a person’s license to operate can be revoked immediately for an indefinite period.