WESTFIELD – A city man with dozens of traffic-related violations, including five OUIs, was charged with another last week after crashing into a railroad bridge and taking off on foot, according to court documents.
“After running the defendant’s criminal history, I became aware that the defendant currently had a suspended driver’s license which was suspended for an accumulation of convictions for OUI,” Christopher Gage, the officer with the Police Department who completed the statement of facts after William J. Saporito was arrested.
Saporito, 49, of Rosedell Drive, Westfield, was traveling eastbound on Holyoke Road on Jan. 1 and when turning left on East Mountain Road, struck the railroad bridge, abandoned his vehicle, and fled on foot, Gage wrote.
When he was later found, Gage wrote he had red glassy eyes, slurred speech, and a strong odor of alcohol.
At his arraignment the next day, he pleaded not guilty to fourth offense or more OUIs, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, operating a motor vehicle while suspended for OUI, leaving the scene of property damage, and operating without an ignition interlock, and a marked lanes violation.
He was ordered held without bail pending the outcome of dangerousness hearing held Monday. He was found dangerous and ordered held without bail for 120 days.
According to court documents, Saporito was charged in July 1997 with his first OUI in the Eastern Hampshire District Court. During that stop, he was also charged with assault and battery on a police officer, and failure to stop.
The court records indicate that Saporito accepted a continuance without a finding by the court, but there are also entries that indicate he was charged with five probation violations. The disposition of those violations is not included in the court documents.
Four years later, Saporito was stopped again in August 2001 and charged in the Eastern Hampshire District Court with another OUI and possession to distribute marijuana, and an open container and failure to signal violation.
He was found guilty of the OUI and the distribution charge and again sentenced to probation, which he violated four times, according to court records.
In February 2009, he was charged again in the Eastern Hampshire District Court with OUI. On that charge, Saporito was accepted a plea of continued without a finding and ordered to attend the state’s Impaired Driver Program. After finishing the program, the OUI charge was dismissed.
He was arrested again in Broward County, Florida, on March 20, 2025, by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for boating while under the influence. He refused to submit to a blood alcohol test. His bail was set at $500. The disposition of that case was unavailable.
He was charged with OUI again and operating without a license and failure to stop for police in Holyoke District Court in September 2025, according to court records.
Saporito pleaded not guilty when arraigned and was ordered held in lieu of a of $50,000 surety bond or $5,000 cash.
The court record is not clear if he posted the bond or cash, but on Nov. 10, he pleaded guilty to the three charges and was sentenced to 60 days in the Hampden County House of Correction.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Saporito was being held.
When asked if Saporito had served the entire 60-day sentence for pleading guilty to the OUI in September, the spokesperson said that information was unavailable to the public.
