Massachusetts police officer charged with drunken driving was already on leave for forgetting handgun in restaurant bathroom

A Massachusetts police officer who has been on paid administrative leave for forgetting his handgun in a restaurant bathroom is now being charged with drunken driving, officials said.

Christopher Challies, 46, crashed his pickup truck into a utility pole on Route 6 in Barnstable near the Sandwich town line on Monday, police said in a statement released Friday.

Challies is a Barnstable police sergeant and 20-year veteran of the police department who has been on paid administrative leave after leaving his handgun in the bathroom of a Bourne restaurant in September 2016, according to the Cape Cod Times. A 10-year-old boy and his father discovered the gun.

Challies, of Sandwich, suffered injuries in the crash and was taken to the Cape Cod Hospital Emergency Room. The pickup truck went about 75 yards off the road before striking the utility pole, causing extensive front-end damage, police said.

Police said Challies told officers he was distracted by a cell phone prior to the crash. However, police said the damage to the pickup truck and the distance it went off the road "was not consistent with a brief cellular telephone distraction."

At the hospital, Lt. John Murphy made observations that he believed were probable cause to charge Challies with operating under the influence of alcohol, the statement said. Challies was still being treated for his crash injuries at the time.

The Cape Cod Times reported that Murphy smelled alcohol on Challies and that Challies had watery, bloodshot eyes.

In addition to being charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, Challies has received a motor vehicle citation charging him with operating to endanger and failure to stay in marked lanes.

That section of Route 6A was closed for about 15 hours as crews replaced the utility pole.