Federal immigration agents took a 41-year-old Newburyport man into custody outside Peabody District Court before he could be arraigned on charges stemming from a wrong-way crash that injured a Massachusetts State Police trooper, leaving the state criminal case delayed and adding a new immigration-enforcement dimension to a high-profile public safety case.

Lucas Gustavo Brajak DeAlmeida DiBenedetto had been scheduled to appear Tuesday in Peabody District Court after police said he drove south in the northbound lanes of Route 1 in Peabody shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday and struck a marked State Police cruiser. The trooper and DiBenedetto were both taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening and later released, according to reports citing Massachusetts State Police and prosecutors.

DiBenedetto was charged with operating under the influence of liquor and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and he was cited for driving the wrong way on a state highway. Prosecutors said he had posted $500 cash bail after his arrest and was due in court for arraignment when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents intercepted him outside the courthouse.

Video obtained by Boston-area television stations showed federal agents detaining DiBenedetto near the courthouse before he entered the building. The Essex County District Attorney’s Office later told the court that DiBenedetto was in ICE custody. Judge Frances Dallmeyer issued a default warrant for his return to court, according to local reports. NBC10 Boston reported that the judge did not revoke his bail.

The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that DiBenedetto was a Brazilian national and citizen of Italy who entered the United States on Jan. 5, 2007, with permission to remain for three months. Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement reported by local outlets that DiBenedetto overstayed his visa and would remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

The federal detention complicates the state court process because DiBenedetto did not appear for arraignment on the Massachusetts charges. The default warrant means he may be arrested for the state case if he is released from federal custody in the United States. Until then, the criminal case remains procedurally stalled, even as state officials say they want the impaired-driving and wrong-way-driving allegations prosecuted.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, speaking to reporters after the detention, emphasized accountability in the crash case and the broader need to prevent wrong-way driving. She said the driver should be held fully accountable if he violated state law and said her administration had directed transportation and public safety officials to continue work on signage, technology and other measures meant to reduce wrong-way crashes.

The Peabody crash occurred less than a month after Massachusetts State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor was killed in a wrong-way crash on Route 1 in Lynnfield. Trainor, 30, was responding to a report of a vehicle traveling the wrong way when his cruiser was struck head-on on May 6. That fatal crash, and the subsequent Peabody crash, have increased scrutiny on highway-ramp design, warning systems and penalties for drivers who enter divided highways in the wrong direction.

State Police said the Peabody incident began when a trooper spotted a vehicle traveling south in the northbound lanes of Route 1. Troopers moved to warn others and keep vehicles from entering the roadway, according to local reports. Minutes later, the wrong-way vehicle struck one of the responding troopers in a marked cruiser. Both drivers were transported for medical care.

Reports citing court documents said DiBenedetto told officers he had been at a Peabody bar or restaurant and had consumed two beers. Police said officers noted signs of possible impairment, including the odor of alcohol, slurred speech and glassy eyes, according to NBC10 Boston’s account of the criminal complaint. DiBenedetto has not been convicted of the charges, and the allegations remain pending.

The detention also raised questions about where federal agents can make arrests near Massachusetts courthouses. CBS News Boston reported that DiBenedetto was taken into custody in the courthouse parking lot. The distinction matters because Massachusetts has debated limits on civil immigration arrests in and around state facilities, and because courthouse enforcement has long been contested by immigrant advocates, prosecutors and court officials who argue it can discourage witnesses, defendants and victims from participating in the justice system.

In this case, the immediate practical effect was that the state arraignment did not happen. Prosecutors did not get the standard first court appearance at which charges are formally read, counsel issues are addressed and release conditions can be reviewed. Defense representation was also not resolved in open court before the federal detention, according to local reporting.

The State Police Association of Massachusetts has used the latest crash to renew calls for tougher action on wrong-way driving. The union said the injured trooper had acted to protect the public and warned that the state could not wait for another preventable loss. The group’s statement framed the issue as a highway-safety crisis independent of a driver’s background or immigration status, saying wrong-way driving on a divided highway is reckless and potentially lethal.

Massachusetts transportation officials have been under pressure to expand technology that detects wrong-way drivers and warns them before they enter a highway. CBS News Boston reported this week that Massachusetts has wrong-way detection software installed at 16 locations as part of a pilot program, while Connecticut has deployed more than 200 wrong-way detection cameras and warning systems. Connecticut officials have said the systems can trigger flashing alerts for drivers and notify highway operations centers and police.

For Massachusetts, the Route 1 crashes have turned a specialized roadway-safety issue into a statewide policy debate. Lawmakers and local officials are weighing whether additional funding, mandatory penalties, wider use of detection equipment or changes to ramp signage would reduce the risk of wrong-way crashes. The fatal Trainor crash and the Peabody collision both occurred in the early morning hours, a period frequently associated with impaired-driving risk.

For federal immigration authorities, the case is being presented as part of a targeted enforcement operation involving a person accused of a serious public-safety offense. DHS said DiBenedetto would remain in ICE custody while removal proceedings move forward. That federal process is separate from the Massachusetts criminal case, but the timing of the detention means immigration custody now directly affects when, and how, the state prosecution can proceed.

The next step in the state case depends on whether DiBenedetto is returned to Massachusetts court or remains in federal immigration custody. Prosecutors still have pending charges tied to the Peabody crash, while ICE has asserted custody based on immigration status. The injured trooper has been released from the hospital, but the case remains active as Massachusetts officials face renewed pressure to address wrong-way driving and its consequences for police and the public.