BOSTON, Jan. 15, 2013—A South Boston man convicted nine times of operating under the influence will remain behind bars at least until later this week, when prosecutors will seek to have him held without bail as a threat to the community, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

TIMOTHY DAVIDSON (D.O.B. 7/20/61) of South Boston was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court yesterday on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol as a fifth or subsequent offense, operating after suspension, and leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Michael Glennon, Judge Tracy-Lee Lyons ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Jan. 18.

Under Ch. 276, Sect. 58A, of the Massachusetts General Laws, a judge may hold a defendant accused of certain offenses without bail for up to 90 days pending trial upon “clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person or the community.”

According to prosecutors, Davidson was driving a rented 2004 GMC box truck at an excessive speed around 7:00 p.m. Saturday when he struck a Lincoln Navigator driven by a 48-year-old Rhode Island man at the intersection of JFK Surface Road and Lincoln Street. Davidson allegedly took off on the Expressway, while the driver of the other vehicle called 911 and followed Davidson until he stopped at a Mobil gas station on East Berkeley Street, prosecutors said.

When a responding Boston Police officer told Davidson to step out of the truck, he shouted that he didn’t have a shoe on and retrieved an orthopedic walking boot from the passenger’s seat. Inside the boot, prosecutors said, the officer discovered a half empty bottle of chocolate whipped crème flavored vodka. Both the officer and the victim noted a strong odor of alcohol coming from the truck’s cabin, prosecutors said.

Davidson fell as he stepped out of the truck, striking his head on the pavement. As he sat on the sidewalk, he repeatedly fell asleep and woke not knowing where he was, prosecutors said.

Davidson refused to take field sobriety tests and a blood alcohol test, prosecutors said.

Since 1980, Davidson has been found guilty of drunken driving eight times and had a ninth case continued without a finding, according to prosecutors. His most recent such conviction was in 2007, when Suffolk prosecutors indicted him and secured a 2½-year state prison sentence for a drunk driving case out of Dorchester; he has also been convicted in Brockton, Brookline, East Boston, Clinton, and Hingham.

Davidson is represented by attorney Erin Opperman.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.