Officer Arrests Dozing Driver on DUI Charge

WARWICK — Officer Bruce Law was headed south on Post Road April 3 at 12:32 a.m. when he spotted a line of cars, hazard lights on, behind a blue 2013 Audi with its driver asleep, at a green light, and arrested him on a DUI charge.

Law approached the Audi and saw that the driver was sleeping at the wheel of the car, an automatic, running, with the transmission in drive. The doors were locked and the windows closed, so Law knocked on the driver’s side window to wake the man, but wasn’t able to stir him, according to the officer’s report.

Law began shining his flashlight and shouting to the driver to wake up, and continued knocking until the man opened his eyes, which were bloodshot, according to the report.

The driver, later identified as Mark V. Salmon, 36, of 14 Bakers Creek Road, Warwick, rolled down his window and Law told him to put the Audi in park and turn it off, according to the report. Salmon put the Audi in park and shut it off, then rolled up the window and fell asleep again, according to Law’s report.

Law knocked to wake the driver again, and he stirred, but turned the car on again. He told the driver to turn it off again, which he did, and asked him to step out of the car, which he did, according to the report.

When he opened the door, Law reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol coming from the interior. Salmon told Law he had consumed two beers earlier that night.

During a series of sobriety tests, Salmon showed a lack of smooth pursuit in his vision, was unable to maintain heel-to-toe cadence while walking a straight line and was unsteady attempting to balance on one foot.

Law arrested Salmon and transported him to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he registered a .183 twice on successive blood alcohol tests.

Law charged Salmon with DUI, .15 or greater blood alcohol, and cited him for stopping while prohibited.