WARWICK, RI — Warwick Officer Tyler Stone was called to 1783 Elmwood Ave. Feb. 3 at 9:12 p.m.for a report of an intoxicated driver that had crashed in the parking lot of D&H Collision Center.
Stone arrived to find a gray 2016 Nissan Altima hanging off a dividing wall between the sidewalk and parking lot of the business, its engine still running, according to the officer’s report. Stone spoke with the driver, identified as Diane Granja, 47, of 507 Grand Ave. Pawtucket, and asked her to turn off the car and hand him the keys.
As Granja stepped from the car, Stone noted a strong odor of alcohol on the woman’s breath, according to the officer’s report. He also observed that her eyes appeared glassy and bloodshot, and that her speech was slurred. When the officer asked her for her driver’s license, she had an extremely difficult time finding it in her purse.
Stone also noticed what he described as “a large pile of blue vomit” a few feet back from the site of the crash, where her car had been parked prior to the crash. Granja told him she had pulled in to the parking lot to throw up. As she spoke, Stone noticed her tongue was a deep blue color. She added that she had been returning from a birthday party and had been heading home to Pawtucket. She was unable to explain how her car wound up hanging off the wall.
Stone invited Granja to a series of sobriety tests, which she agreed to. During the tests, Granja demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit in her vision, and involuntary eye movements. She required her arms for balance and stepped off-line during a walk and turn test, and declined to perform the one-leg stand test, citing a medical condition that prevented her.
Granja pleaded with Stone not to arrest her, promising in to not drive anymore. Stone reported he determined she could not safely drive a car, and arrested her on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. and transported her to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where she refused to take a breath test of her blood alcohol level.
Stone charged Granja with DUI, blood alcohol unknown, and cited for refusing the breath test. She was released to a sober adult.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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