SOUTHBOROUGH, MA — The Southborough Police Department arrested two people over the weekend on drunken driving charges following separate incidents.
On Saturday at about 12:40 a.m., Officer Panajoti Samarxhi was on patrol in the area of Turnpike and Woodland roads when he observed a vehicle driving 90 mph in a 50-mph zone west on Turnpike Road.
Officer Samarxhi activated his cruiser’s lights and sirens, turned around and soon after observed the vehicle enter a private warehouse parking lot with a security checkpoint.
With assistance from Sgt. Jeffrey Norton Jr. and Officer Jeffrey Mayer, officers made contact with the driver and identified him as Zhong Li.
While speaking with Li, officers detected a strong odor of alcohol.
During an on-scene investigation, officers determined that Li entered private property, placed an open High Noon beverage can in a snowbank between two trailers and then tried to exit, which is when officers made contact with him.
A subsequent investigation determined that Li had been operating under the influence.
He was taken into custody without incident.
During an inventory search of his vehicle, officers located a case of High Noons with two cans missing.
Li, 43, of Westborough, was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of liquor, failure to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, speeding, littering from a motor vehicle and trespassing with a motor vehicle.
In a separate incident on Saturday at about 6:15 p.m., Southborough Police responded to a reported two-vehicle crash in the area of Turnpike and Oak Hill roads.
Through a preliminary investigation, officers learned that a 2026 Tesla Model Y struck a 2016 Acura MDX while taking a wide turn from Turnpike Road to Oak Hill Road at a high rate of speed.
The Acura had been stopped on Oak Hill at a red light.
Officers spoke with the driver of the Tesla and identified her as Sonal S. Khakhar.
While speaking with Khakhar, officers detected a strong odor of alcohol.
A subsequent investigation, including field sobriety tests, determined that Khakhar had been operating under the influence.
She was taken into custody without incident.
Neither of the drivers were injured as a result of the crash.
Khakhar, 56, of Upton, was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and speeding.
Both are scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Westborough District Court.
