Drive-Thru DUI Charge Follows July 1 Hit & Run Call

WARWICK, RI — Officer Michael Maccarone was called to 2390 Warwick Ave. July 1 at 9:55 p.m. for a hit & run, charging a Fla. man with a drive-thru DUI.

On his way, Maccarone searched for the Fit but was unable to find it, until he pulled into the lot at 2390 Warwick Ave. and spotted the car headed away from the McDonald’s drive-thru and towards Warwick Avenue, according to the officer’s report. He stopped the car in the lot and spoke with the driver, identifying him as MIchael Russo, 66, of 1660 Pine Valley Drive, Apt. 105, Fort Myers, FL.

As they spoke, Maccarone reported, Russo was eating a cheeseburger. When asked where he was coming from, Russo said he’d just left the McDonald’s. When asked if he’d been in an accident, Russo said he had. He told Maccarone  that while in the drive thru his front bumper had made contact with the car ahead of him. That driver got out, told him everything was fine, and drove away.

Maccarone also noted that Russo’s eyes were bloodshot and he could smell alcohol on Russo’s breath.

Officers Amedo Ucci  and Michael Rosa arrived and began a DUI investigation, including a series of sobriety tests. During the tests, Russo demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit and involuntary motion in his vision, was unable to walk a straight line as instructed and put his foot down and used his arms for balance during a one-leg-stand test.

Ucci determined Russo was not fit to drive and arrested him, placing him in his cruiser, the drove him to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he charged the driver with DUI, blood alcohol unknown, first offense,  and also cited him for refusing to take a breath test of his blood alcohol level.