WARWICK — As Officer Brenen Cardoza transported Gary Roy, 55, of 107 Larkin Ave. to Warwick Police Headquarters for processing on DUI charge following a crash at Sandy Lane and Warwick Avenue July 21 at 10:30 p.m., he asked the officer how he wound up in the cruiser’s rear seat.
About thirty minutes earlier, Cardoza had responded to the crash to find Roy standing unsteadily outside his Red Hyundai Veloster, propping himself against the driver’s side door, according to the officer’s report. As Cardoza spoke with Roy, he noticed the driver had bloodshot eyes and slurred his speech. Roy’s breath also smelled of alcohol, according to the report.
The driver of the silver Toyota Corolla struck in the crash told Cardoza that he had been stopped at the red light to turn left on Warwick Avenue from Sandy Lane when the Hyundai struck his car from behind. He said he suspected the driver, Roy, was “intoxicated”, according to the report.
When Cardoza asked if Roy had had any alcohol that night, the driver responded that he had had, ‘a couple of wines,” according to the officer’s report.
Cardoza invited Roy to take some sobriety tests, during which the driver nearly stumbled out of his flip flops, was unable to follow the officer’s finger with only his eyes, stumbled repeatedly and dangerously while attempting to walk a straight line, and nearly fell over during an attempt to stand on one leg.
Cardoza arrested Roy and placed him in his cruiser, then drove him to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he refused to submit to a breath test of his blood alcohol level. In doing so, when instructed to circle the option refusing the test on the form, Roy circled the test, “circle answer” instead, according to the report.
Roy’s car was towed from the scene by Herb’s Towing. On the ride to Warwick Police Headquarters, Cardoza reported, Roy suddenly asked how he had gotten into the rear of Cardoza’s cruiser, then asked Cardoza to turn left, onto his street, Larkin Avenue, toward his home as they drove past. Cardoza noted that turn would have actually been a right hand turn, according to his report.
Cardoza charged Roy with one count of DUI, first offense, blood alcohol unknown, and cited for refusing the blood test. He was scheduled to answer the DUI charge in Third District Court on Aug. 8.
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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