DUI Arrest Ends Early A.M. Greenwich Ave. Traffic Stop

WARWICK, RI — A Warwick officer spotted a speeding white Jeep Compass headed north on Greenwich Avenue May 26 at 1:20 a.m. stopping and making a DUI arrest.

Officer Alejandro Martinez was able to clock the Jeep at 54 mph in a 35 mph zone, and made a U-turn to follow the vehicle. As he did, he saw the Jeep swerve left and right, putting the driver’s side  and passenger’s side tires over the white fog lines on either side of the street. The Jeep then  continued north, its tires straddling left and right lanes. Martinez pulled the Jeep over at  the intersection of Greenwich and Cadora Avenues, according to the officer’s report.

Martinez identified the driver as  Alessandro Silva, 25, of 192 Meadow St., FL, Apt. 2, Pawtucket, RI. Silva told Martinez he was returning from a family cookout and that he had drank two Coronas earlier that day. Martinez reported he was able to smell alcohol coming from the Jeep. He also reported that Silva’s eyes were bloodshot, and his speech was mumbled.

During sobriety tests, Silva demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit and involuntary eye movement in his vision, was unable to walk heel-to-toe, stepped -off-line and made an improper turn during a walk and turn test and put his foot down, swayed and used his arms for balance during a  one-leg stand.

A search of the Jeep turned up an opened can of Corona in the back seat, and a case of unopened Corona. A search of Silva turned up a nip bottle of Apple Pie liquor.

Martinez arrested Silva on suspicion of DUI and transported him to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he refused to submit to a breath test of his blood alcohol level.

Martinez charged Silva with DUI, blood alcohol content unknown, and cited him for speeding and for refusing the test. He was arraigned on the DUI June 19 and scheduled for a pretrial conference July 11 in Third District Court.