Warwick, R.I — A Warwick Police Department report identifies the driver who caused a March 4 crash at Hoxie Four Corners, then left the scene and caused another crash near Rite Aid on Warwick Avenue, reporting his statement that he had taken 8mg of Xanax that day.
Police charged Michael Jencks, 28, of 10 Linden Ave., Cranston, with DUI, blood alcohol unknown, leaving the scene of an accident with damage resulting, and refusal to submit to a chemical breath test.
When Officer Joshua Myer caught up with Jencks on Warwick Avenue at 11:23 a.m., he noted the driver had bloodshot eyes, mumbled and slurred speech, and asked several questions about the crashes he had just caused, according to the officer’s report. Jencks also told Myer he is prescribed Xanax and had taken 8mg of the drug that morning.
Xanax, also known as alprazolam, is available in 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2 mg doses, in pill form, according to pfizer.com. Standard warnings for the drug advise against operating machinery and cars while under the influence of alprazolam.
A series of sobriety tests did not go well for Jencks. He demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit in his vision, could not walk a straight line without staggering, and could not safely balance on one foot, Myer reported. The officer transported Jencks to Kent County Memorial Hospital out of concern for his physical signs of impairment and his statements about the amount of alprazolam he’d consumed.
At the hospital, Jencks refused a chemical blood test.
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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