Mini Cooper Driver Arrested for DUI Dec. 3

WARWICK, RI — Officer Kevin Grant noticed an orange Mini Cooper tailgating a sedan on Airport Road Dec. 3 at midnight, trying to pass left into oncoming traffic, stopped and charged the driver with DUI.

The Mini Cooper driver braked rapidly in apparent attempts to pass the sedan as the cars headed east, according to Grant’s report. He followed, moving behind the Mini Cooper at the Commerce Drive intersection. From that point to Hoxie Four Corners, about .9 miles, Grant clocked the car at 48 mph through a clearly marked 25 mph zone.

The Mini Cooper took a right and headed North on Warwick Avenue, and Grant followed, then turned on his lights and stopped the driver. Grant approached the driver and identified her as Jeannie Rossetti, 52, of 47 Ogden St., Providence, RI.

Rossetti told Grant she had been returning to Love Lane for the night from The Shanty on Post Road, where she said she’d had a drink with dinner. Her route was in the opposite direction, Grant noted in his report.

Grant asked Rossetti to perform sobriety tests, during which she demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit in her vision, and was unable to understand directions for a walk and turn as instructed, which Grant abandoned after explaining it three times. During a one-leg stand test, she hopped, swayed and used her arms to balance, and Grant ended that test after 25 seconds out of concern for her safety, according to the report. Rossetti also refused to take a portable breath test of her blood alcohol content.

When Grant and Officer Keara Enos, who had arrived to assist, attempted to arrest Rossetti, she resisted by walking away from them as he attempted to hand cuff her. The officers quickly caught up to her and handcuffed her.

Grant transported her to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where she refused a breath test again. Grant charged her with DUI, blood alcohol content unknown, and cited her for refusing the breath test. She was also cited for improper intervals between her vehicle and others while driving.

She was released into the custody of a sober adult.