Warwick, RI – Drivers often stop at traffic lights, but they don’t usually fall asleep there, a novelty that caught the eye of Officer Christopher Cote March 18 at 2:20 a.m. on Post Road at the Airport Road intersection.
As Cote was passing the black 2005 Nissan stopped there, he noticed the driver appeared to be hunched over the steering wheel, sleeping. Cote approached stopped his cruiser, got out and approached the Nissan, finding the driver, later identified as George Garcia, 48, of 209 Hyde St., Cranston, indeed asleep slumped over the wheel, Cote reported.
Cote called out to Garcia several times, according to his report, and knocked on the driver’s side window, which was partly rolled down, before Garcia finally came to. Garcia began to mumble and began to drive forward, before Cote yelled at him to stop, which he did.
Garcia had to be told to stop the car after attempting to drive forward several more times, Cote reported. Garcia finally declared the car was in park, but Cote had to point out it was still in drive before he managed to put it in park.
Cote reported smelling an odor of alcohol on Garcia’s breath, and that his eyes appeared watery and bloodshot. Cote asked him to step from the car for a series of field sobriety tests, which Garcia did, ultimately failing them.
Cote reported Garcia was unsteady on his feet when he got out of the car, and that he was wearing his hooded sweatshirt backwards. He demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit in his vision, missed heel-to-toe cadence and stepped off-line during the walk-and-turn, and could not balance on a single foot during the one-leg-stand.
Cote arrested Garcia on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Officers also found two hydrocodone pills worth $10 and two oxycodone pills worth $10, according to the report.
Cote charged Carcia with driving under the influence of alcohol, and with possession of hydrocodone and possession of oxycodone, both felonies. He was also cited with stopping on a travel portion of the highway, refusing to submit to a chemical test, and operating without proof of insurance.
Garcia was scheduled for a court screening in Third District Court on April 20.
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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