MANCHESTER — A state police trooper trying to stop a repeat drunken driver was punched, dragged and nearly run over Wednesday night along Route 128 in Manchester, police said.

The driver, Gerald Paquin, 60, of Dracut, eluded police for more than 20 miles, after barreling through a road construction site on Route 128 northbound in Woburn, nearly ramming a MassHighway engineer sitting in a truck, before stopping between the Pine Street and School Street exits in Manchester about 9:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Paquin is now being held without bail on 10 charges that include fourth-offense drunken driving, assault and battery on a police officer, driving after license suspension for drunken driving, driving to endanger, and drug possession. His license was revoked for eight years in 2007, after his third drunken-driving conviction.

According to Trooper Eric Benson of the state police's media relations staff, state police began receiving cell phone calls regarding an erratic operator driving in a brown, 2007 Ford Ranger. The vehicle was reportedly all over the road, varying speed and direction wildly.

Paquin was first spotted driving a pickup truck in a closed lane of Route 128 in Woburn, near the Washington Street exit. He went around the parked truck and continued driving north, all over the road, according to a report.

Troopers assigned to the Danvers barracks, Genevieve Gibbons and Robert Noonan, located the vehicle at it neared Manchester and saw Paquin swerve violently from one lane to another. The officers turned on their cruiser lights, but Paquin continued driving for a short distance without stopping. Troopers then turned on their siren but found the same result.

All of a sudden, Paquin slowed significantly below the speed limit and then stopped in the middle of the road. Officers approached the vehicle, saw that the doors were locked, and told Paquin to open the door and put his hands in the air.

As Noonan opened the door of the truck and told Paquin he was under arrest, Paquin, who told a doctor that he is a boxer, punched Noonan in the face, then started pulling away as Noonan held on to the inside of the door frame. The trooper began sliding under the truck, according to the report.

Gibbons, meanwhile, was on the other side of the truck, a 2007 Ford registered to Paquin's wife. Gibbons was able to run alongside and then jump into the truck as Paquin drove toward the median guardrail. She stopped the truck by shifting it into park, according to a report.

She then pushed Paquin toward Noonan, who pulled him out. They were so close to the guardrail that they had to move the truck to pick up the heavyset Paquin.

Paquin, who apparently thought he was on Interstate 93 heading toward Massachusetts General Hospital, told the troopers, "My wife is dying, I need to see my wife."

Troopers noticed a heavy odor of alcohol and found that his license had been suspended for a previous offense of operating under the influence. Upon further inspection of the vehicle before it was towed, officers found medication bottles of pills that were believed to be clonazepam and diazepam Valium.

Paquin allegedly told the troopers he had been drinking vodka; later, he would say he had been drinking beer but refused a Breathalyzer test.

Told he had nearly killed the trooper, Paquin said, "Yes, tell him I'm sorry," according to the report.

Manchester police and fire units responded to the scene at 9:30 p.m. to assist the state police in their arrest and the fire department transported Paquin and Noonan to Beverly Hospital.

Noonan was treated for minor injuries and released, said state police Sgt. David Mahan. Mahan said the trooper is out injured and was not sure when he would return to work.

Paquin was evaluated at the hospital and then brought back to the Danvers barracks, where he was held without bail.

During a bail hearing yesterday in Salem District Court, where there were no judges available because of a conference, prosecutors filed a motion to have Paquin held without bail as a danger to the public. He will remain in custody until that hearing, which has not yet been scheduled, and will be brought back to court today for arraignment.

Julie Manganis can be reached at jmanganis@gloucestertimes.com. and Cameron Kittle can be reached at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com.