Swerving Driver Stopped, Arrested on DUI Charge

Editor’s note: Charges against the individual described in this report have been dismissed. In keeping with Warwick Post policy, the man’s name has been removed from this report. It has been maintained as a record of police activity.

WARWICK, RI — Officer Michael Harris was patrolling on West Shore Road Jan. 15 at 2:27 a.m. when he spotted a white 2010 Infinity swerving through the lanes, pulled him over on Main Avenue, and arrested him on a DUI charge.

Harris saw the Infinity make the turn onto Main Avenue, straddling two lanes then swerved across the double yellow lines into the lane for oncoming traffic. The road was empty except for the officer’s cruiser and the Infinity at the time, according to the officer’s report.

Harris pulled the driver over, and the man apologized when the officer informed him of the reason for the stop. The driver said he had been traveling in the center of the road because he was about to make a right-hand turn, Harris reported.

As Harris informed the driver that wasn’t a good reason to drive down the center of the road, he could smell alcohol on the man’s breath, and noted his eyes appeared very bloodshot, according to the report.

The driver told the officer he was returning from Fat Belly’s pub, and had drank about “three to four beers,” before leaving.

During a series of sobriety tests, the man demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit in his vision and involuntary eye movement, staggered and stepped off-line during a walk and turn test, and was unsteady during a portion of the one-leg-stand test.

Harris arrested  the driver on suspicion of DU, and transported him to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he refused a breath test.

Harris charged the driver with DUI first offense, blood alcohol unknown, with a date in Third District Court of Jan. 31. He also cited him for refusing the breath test, and violating road lanes.

The driver was turned over to the custody of a sober adult.