As reported by Amanda Milkovits in the September 28, 2010 edition of the Providence Journal, an automobile accident in Pawtucket claimed the life of one man. The driver of the vehicle ran a red light and crashed into another car. Both the driver and his passenger were ejected from the vehicle and the passenger was killed.
The driver was initially charged with driving without a license and received a traffic summons for driving through the red light. Additional investigation by police, led to the more serious charge of driving while under the influence (DUI) - death resulting.
Pursuant to R.I.G.L. 31-27-2.2, driving while under the influence - death resulting is defined as: (a) when the death of any person other than the operator ensues as a proximate result of an injury received by the operation of any vehicle, the operator of which is under the influence of any intoxicating liquor, toluene, or any controlled substance as defined in chapter 28 of title 21, or any combination of these, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of "driving under the influence of liquor or drugs, resulting in death."
The penalties for such a crime include a prison sentence of five (5) to fifteen (15) years, a fine of $5,000 to $10,000 and a license revocation for up to five (5) years. Additional steps must also be taken before a person is able to get their license reinstated.
This is not the first driving related charge for the driver; he has eighteen (18) outstanding traffic tickets and criminal charges for reckless driving and operating without a license. He is currently on probation for drug related charges and reckless driving, having been recently released from the ACI.