Charlestown Man Arrested for DUI

As reported by Richard Dujardin in the December 4, 2010 edition of the Providence Journal, a Charlestown man was arrested for driving under the influence ("DUI").  The man is also facing three (3) additional charges of reckless driving, disorderly conduct and refusal to submit to a chemical test. The charges stem from a bizarre incident starting on the roadway and ending at the Charlestown Police Station.

A female motorist said the Charlestown man was following her car.  When she tried to let him pass her, he instead continued to follow her car.  She made an attempt to turn around but he cut her off.  She then drove to the police station and the man followed suit.  While at the station, the police smelled alcohol on the man's breath asked him to perform field sobriety tests and later arrested him for DUI. 

The man is the father of Colin Foote who was recently killed when another motorist ran a red light. He said the female motorist ran the same red light where his son was killed and that he was driving to the police station to turn her in for the alleged traffic violation.

If convicted, the penalties for first offense DUI under Rhode Island General Law

31-27-2 are:

Every person convicted of a first violation whose blood alcohol concentration is one-tenth of one percent (.1%) by weight or above but less than fifteen hundredths of one percent (.15%) or whose blood alcohol concentration is unknown shall be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred ($100) dollars nor more than four hundred dollars ($400) and shall be required to perform ten (10) to sixty (60) hours of public community restitution and/or shall be imprisoned for up to one year. The sentence may be served in any unit of the adult correctional institutions in the discretion of the sentencing judge. The person's driving license shall be suspended for a period of three (3) months to twelve (12) months. The sentencing judge shall require attendance at a special course on driving while intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance and/or alcoholic or drug treatment for the individual.