WPD Finds Hit & Run Suspect Sans Car March 3

WARWICK, RI — Warwick Police called to Seasons Corner Market, 2128 Elmwood Ave. March 3 at 8:22 p.m. for a reported hit & run found the suspect pacing on foot on Post Road about an hour later, the Lexus he was driving nowhere in sight.

According to the report of Officer Jake Reddy, the driver of the blue Toyota Highlander struck, said she had pulled into the gas station in front of the pumps to fill her SUV. As she got out of the SUV,  man driving a black sedan, later identified as a 2004 Lexus, backed out of a parking space and into her vehicle, causing minor damage to the front bumper, according to the report. The two made eye contact, the woman said, and the man began driving away. The woman yelled at the man to stop, and that she was writing down his plate number, but he continued, leaving the area without stopping.

The driver of the SUV said the car had pre-existing damage to the driver’s side front quarter, and new damage to the back bumper from backing into her Highlander. Officers searched the area for the Lexus, but did not locate it, according to the report. Police called the registered owner of the Lexus, but were not able to immediately contact them.

At about 9:48 p.m., Warwick Police received a call about a man, David ODonnell, 35, of 112 Harrington Ave., Warwick,  pacing and screaming on the sidewalk at 761 Post Road, and met up with the man, finding him “heavily intoxicated” according to the report. He denied having driven a car earlier that day.

As other officers were speaking with ODonnell, Reddy called and reached the car owner, who said they had let ODonnell borrow the car. She said she’d received a call from him telling her he was in the Post Road Walmart, and met him there with a friend at about 10:40 p.m., finding him alone in the car in the driver’s seat, with fresh damage to the front bumper and also damage to the back bumper.

The owner and friend asked ODonnel to get out of the car, then got in and drove away, leaving him at the Walmart.

Police arrested ODonnell, charging him with Failure to Stop for Accident Resulting in Damage to Vehicle.