PROVINCETOWN — Sean P. Hallisey, 51, of Bradford Street crashed his ex-partner’s vehicle into the woods beside the entrance to the Old Colony Nature Pathway on Howland Street on Saturday, Nov. 13. According to court documents, he now faces 10 criminal counts, including operating under the influence (OUI), after leading police on a brief car chase before allegedly attempting to flee the scene of the crash.
Hallisey could be looking at a mandatory two-year jail sentence.
In his narrative, Provincetown Officer Daniel Sheehan wrote that, just before 11 a.m., he saw a black 2017 Subaru Forester entering the public parking lot next to the skate park on Jerome Smith Road the wrong way. Hallisey, whose license had been revoked in 2017 for OUI, was driving the car. According to the police report, Hallisey had been working on the vehicle for his ex-partner, Joey Soloway, but did not have permission to use the car.
Sheehan reported that he watched as Hallisey exited the lot and turned onto Route 6, ignoring a yield sign and cutting off an approaching vehicle. When Sheehan activated his cruiser lights, Hallisey turned onto Conwell Street, but then abruptly drove off at an estimated 45 m.p.h. before turning left on Harry Kemp Way, with Sheehan in pursuit. When the officer reached the intersection with Howland Street, he saw skid marks leading into the woods beside the nature path. There he found the Subaru, 25 feet from the road, with smoke rising from both sides.
According to Sheehan’s report, the vehicle was likely a total loss. Its front end was caved in against a tree and the airbags had deployed. Sheehan discovered Hallisey, who had crawled through the driver’s side window, “attempting to flee the scene” on his hands and knees. According to the report, when Sheehan asked Hallisey why he left the car, he responded, “I’m a three-time felon. I’m not going back to jail.” Later, however, he shouted at police, “Just take me in! I don’t care.”
Hallisey reportedly told Sheehan that he did not have any weapons; Sheehan wrote that he discovered a knife on the subject’s belt. According to the report, Hallisey smelled of liquor and had glassy eyes and slurred speech. Police did not perform a field sobriety test. Instead, Hallisey, who was kicking and yelling, according to Sheehan’s report, was handcuffed to a stretcher and transported to Cape Cod Hospital.
Hallisey was arraigned on Nov. 15. As of press time, a pretrial hearing had not been scheduled.
The Nov. 13 drunk driving arrest was Hallisey’s fourth. In 1997 he was charged with OUI and received a continuance without finding, an admission that the state has enough evidence to prosecute him. A continuance without finding allows first-time drunk driving offenders to avoid conviction and, often, to avoid jail time. In 2012 and 2013, Hallisey was again charged with OUI and was convicted both times. The police report also notes that his license had been revoked in 2014 and again in 2017, also due to OUI.
First-time OUI offenders in Massachusetts are required to complete 40 hours of alcohol education (32 in group sessions) over the course of 16 weeks. Most second offenders can choose to participate in a 14-day residential treatment program in lieu of jail time. Still, the rate of drunk driving recidivism is high. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, repeat offenders account for 30 percent of all drunk driving arrests.
In September 2020, Hallisey was arrested after his girlfriend accused him of putting his hands around her neck and pushing her to the ground. As a condition of his bail, Hallisey was required to submit to regular alcohol breath tests. That October, he failed a breath test; then, several days later, he failed another, registering a blood alcohol concentration of .18. (OUI is defined in Massachusetts as operating while under the influence of alcohol at a level of .08 or higher.) At that time, a warrant was issued for Hallisey’s arrest, his bail was revoked, and he was sent to the Barnstable County Correctional Facility.
Drivers in Massachusetts found guilty of more than one OUI face mandatory jail time. Mandatory minimums range from 30 days for a second offense to 4 years for an 8th or greater offense. If found guilty of the most recent charge, Hallisey will face at least one year in jail.
Hallisey faces another mandatory minimum sentence of one year for driving with a suspended license. If found guilty of using Soloway’s car without authority, he could be subject to another 30-day mandatory minimum.
Hallisey’s other counts include speeding; leaving the scene of property damage; improper operation of a motor vehicle; marked lanes violation; failure to yield; operation of a motor vehicle after suspension or revocation of license; and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.
