Donut Driver Arrested on Jefferson Boulevard Sept. 5

WARWICK, RI — Warwick officers called to a Jefferson Boulevard company at 3:54 p.m. Sept. 5  for a donut driver found the offending party and his silver RAV4’s keys in the company of United Supply Company employees.

Officers Jessica Masso and Maxwell Neilly arrested the driver, a 26-year old Pawtucket, RI, man. on a DUI charge, according to Masso’s report. The charge was later dismissed in Third District Court.

While en route to the address, dispatch advised the officers that the reporting caller had stopped and spoken to the RAV4 driver, who seemed intoxicated, and “did not look good.” The man said he had managed to secured the driver and his keys and was attempting to keep him there until police arrived.

Masso  arrived and spoke to the caller, who said he had heard the SUV doing doughnuts in the lot and investigated, finding  the driver behind the wheel as the SUV circled in the lot. Masso observed tire marks in the lot that matched up with the account, including marks that went over the curb into the grass. Masso noted the RAV4 had Massachusetts dealer plates on it.

Masso asked the RAV4 driver what had happened, and the driver replied, “I just want my mom,” according to the officer’s report. He later explained that he had been fired from his job, and had arrived at the lot after work. The driver also said he had drank three nip bottles of Fireball whiskey, but was not able to say when or where he had done that. He was also unable to elaborate on his whereabouts prior to arriving at Jefferson Boulevard, according to the report.

Officer Neilly arrived, and the two ran the driver through a series of sobriety tests. During the tests, he failed to follow directions for the vision test, was unable to walk the required number of steps during a walk and turn test and could only raise his foot for a few seconds during a one-leg stand test.

Masso detained the SUV driver on suspicion of DUI, and placed him in her cruiser. The RAV4, which Neilly reported contained several Fireball nip bottles, was left at the lot, where his coworker retrieved it.

At Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, Warwick, The driver registered a .289, a .266 and a .260 in three successive breath tests of his blood alcohol content. A third test was performed due to a problem with the breathalyzer, according to the officer’s report.

The driver told police he had been dropped in the area by his coworkers, who told him, “this is it,” according to Masso’s report. He said he had drank the Fireball nips the previous night during a football fantasy draft at his house, and had not eaten since that time. He also repeatedly referenced being near Auburn, MA, despite being told he was in Warwick.

At one point, after telling Masso he had been driving his coworkers and that they had left before police arrived, he looked at Masso’s arm patch and said, “Damn, this IS Warwick,” according to her report.

Masso charged the man with DUI, . 15 or greater, first offense, and cited him for driving on a suspended license. The DUI charge was dismissed in Third District Court on Sept. 28.