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Police: Drunk Man Drove Into MBTA Silver Line Tunnel

Update: MBTA Transit Police says it originally misidentified the suspect. Here is part of the MBTA Transit Police's statement:

"During the booking process the male subject furnished the name of William Tilton and other personal identifiers of William Tilton. The information was submitted to AFIS, as is customary, and the information came back verified for the name provided. Unfortunately this information was furnished to the media.

Earlier this evening we positively verified/confirmed the male subject arrested was NOT William Tilton but rather his estranged brother James M Tilton, 57. We will take the steps necessary to correct the misleading criminal action of James Tilton. Additionally, we will look into why the original return from AFIS was in error."

SOUTH BOSTON (CBS) - A man is facing charges after police say he drove down an MBTA Silver Line tunnel Friday morning in South Boston.

Officials say 57-year-old James M. Tilton was drunk when he took a wrong turn into the tunnel around 1 a.m. near D Street.

The tunnel is clearly marked as being off-limits to all traffic with the exception of Silver Line buses.

Tilton's car crashed into the tunnel's automatic security barriers, which deployed to prevent him from continuing any further.

Tilton told officers that he was coming from the Bruins game, which had ended more than three hours earlier, and that a friend told him to take the bus-only path.

Police say he admitted to drinking, but claimed he'd only had two or three beers.

After failing several field sobriety tests, he took a breathalyzer test where his blood alcohol level registered .15 – nearly twice the legal driving limit, prosecutors said.

Tilton was arraigned Friday in the Boston Municipal Court and released on personal recognizance. His license was suspended because of the failed breathalyzer, and he was ordered to remain alcohol-free.

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