Driver Charged in DUI Crash Aug. 22

WARWICK, RI — On Aug. 22, 6:52 p.m., officers Michael Ferraria and Sara Goes were called to Cumberland Farms at 1291 Warwick Ave. for a DUI crash, arresting one driver.

The officers arrived to find a black 1988 Ford Mustang and a 2016 Ford Escape had collided. The Mustang was now parked in the Cumberland Farms lot, with disabling front-end damage, according to the report.

The Mustang driver pointed to the other car in the crash, which was pulling in to the Shine On Auto Wash across the street. Ferraria and Goes saw the driver, later identified as Meagan Gaboury, 37, of 450 Allen Drive, Kingsport, TN, phone in hand, held to her ear and mouth, nearly strike a trash bin as she parked. After parking, Gaboury got out of her SUV, which had suffered moderate damage to the passenger’s side, with a flat front tire.

The officers crossed the street and spoke with Gaboury, who had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol, according to Ferraria’s report. She asked why the officers were speaking with her when she was the one who had been struck. She agreed to take sobriety tests.

During the tests, Gaboury demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit and involuntary eye movement in her vision, refused to walk a straight line as instructed, and also refused to attempt to balance on one leg. Ferraria took her into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, and placed her in the officers’ cruiser.

Gaboury’s Escape was towed from the scene by Christian Towing in Warwick.

DUI Crash charges

At WPD Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, Gaboury refused to take a breath test of her blood alcohol level. Ferraria charged her with DUI, blood alcohol content unknown, resulting in the DUI crash, and cited her for refusing the breath test.

Gaboury was arraigned in Third Disctrict Court and scehduled for a pretrial conference on the charges for Oct. 7. She was released on $1,000 bond.