Highlander Airborne, Driver Faces DUI Charge March 31

WARWICK, RI — A 39-year-old Portsmouth, RI woman will appear in Third District Court March 31 to answer a DUI charge after she struck an SUV in the WFD lot then launched her Toyota Highlander airborne at the Post Road rotary Jan. 30.

Officer Katerina Athaide was called to the Warwick Fire Department, 2373 West Shore Road lot at 9:17 p.m. Jan. 30 for a report of a drunk driver operating erratically, striking a parked Land Rover SUV. The owner of the Land Rover, who had pulled into the lot behind the Highlander driving a WFD rescue, saw the driver back into her vehicle. She got out of the Rescue and asked the Highlander driver to put her vehicle in park, but the woman said no, and drove away, according to the officer’s report.

Driver reports Highlander airborne, leads police to driver

Shortly after, police received reports that the Highlander driver had  gone through the Post Road rotary, striking the center curb and sending the Highlander airborne, nearly striking another car. The driver reporting that near-crash followed the Highlander until police arrived to pull over the driver, according to Athaide’s report.

The driver was identified as Alexandria Gallucci, 39, of 32 Holliston Ave., Portsmouth, RI. She initially agreed to perform sobriety  tests and stepped barefoot out of the Highlander, stumbling and nearly falling over as officers helped her put on a pair of boots. She ultimately refused to to take the tests, and Athaide arrested her on suspicion of DUI, transporting her to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive.

The Highlander had sufffered damage to the passenger side of the vehicle and the passenger side door handle was missing. Additionally, the front bumper of the vehicle was broken and cracked. There were apparent marks where the vehicle struck the traffic signs. The vehicle was subsequently towed from the scene by Leo’s Towing.

At WPD HQ, Gallucci refused to take a breath test of her blood alcohol content, and was incoherent and often non-responsive when Athaide attempted to question her, according to the report. She was charged with  DUI, blood alcohol content unknown, and cited for refusing the test. She was later released to the custody of  a sober adult and scheduled for an arraignment in Third District Court on Feb. 13 and released on $1,000 personal recognizance, followed by a hearing on March 17, continued till March 31.