Another 'Citizen Complaint' Helps Police Track Down Alleged Drunk Driver

Another “citizen complaint” early last Saturday morning, Sept. 21, helped Barrington police track down another alleged drunk driver.

Police received a call about 12:21 am of a Mercedes swerving on the Wampanoag Trail as it headed south toward Barrington. The vehicle was soon spotted traveling south in the northbound land of County Road near the Barrington Congregational Church.

A patrol officer reported that the vehicle continued to swerve back and forth over the yellow lines, said Barrington Police Chief John LaCross. It was followed to the Tyler Point area of Barrington and pulled over near Sowams Road.

The driver of the Mercedes, William E. Matthews, 57, of Narragansett, RI, exhibited many of the symptoms of intoxication, LaCross said, including blood shot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol. He submitted to a preliminary breath test (BBT), which allegedly showed his blood alcohol level at .173 or more than double the legal limit in Rhode Island.

Mathews refused a chemical test to check his blood alcohol level a second time. He was taken to the Barrington police station to be arraigned by a justice of the peace on a DUI charge.

Mathews was held overnight to sober up, the police report indicates. He was released on Saturday morning with a District Court date to face the charges.