Cranston Man Sentenced For Drunken Crash That Injured His 10-Year-Old Son, Co-Worker

CRANSTON, RI — A Cranston man was sentenced to 15 years in state prison after driving drunk and causing a crash that seriously inured his 10-year-old son and another passenger, Attorney General Peter Neronha said Wednesday.

On Thursday, Glenn Teolis, 52, was sentenced after he was found guilty in November 223 of two counts of driving under the influence resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury, and one count of felony reckless driving. Prosecutors said Teolis had previously been convicted of reckless driving in 2002 and 2008.

"Every time someone chooses to drive while under the influence, they are putting many lives at risk," Neronha said. "Not only might an impaired driver hurt or kill someone, they might also cause irreparable emotional harm to the family and friends of their potential victims. This defendant carelessly chose to take that risk and caused serious harm to his 10-year-old son and another passenger. He will now be held accountable for that choice."

During the six-day trial, prosecutors proved that on March 31, 2019, Teolis drove under the influence of alcohol and caused a crash on Olney Arnold Road in Cranston. The crash seriously injured his 10-year-old son and another 21-year-old passenger.

Before the crash, Teolis flew to Rhode Island from Florida, where he was living at the time, to visit his son. After he arrived in Rhode Island, Teolis took his son, and a 21-year-old co-worker, to several bars in East Greenwich. While at those bars, Teolis drank several alcoholic beverages, as witnessed by wait staff.

Around 8:20 pm. that night, Teolis left the bar in his 2018 Nissan Altima with his son and co-workers as passengers. According to prosecutors, both passengers repeatedly asked Teolis to slow down and stop, to which he refused. According to testimony, the defendant reached speeds of 100 mph on Route 295 northbound and drove in the breakdown lane to pass vehicles.

Around 8:45 p.m., Teolis struck the curve on Olney Arnold Road and lost control of his car, prosecutors said. The car went off the road, crossing a driveway, before striking a large tree with such force as to wrap the hood around the tree and lift the rear of the vehicle upward.

According to vehicle sensors, the car was traveling 75 miles per hour moments before the crash, and the brakes were not activated. The speed limit on Olney Arnold Road is 25 miles per hour.

Prosecutors said Teolis had a blood alcohol level of 0.125 one hour after the crash.

The injuries to Teolis' passengers required several weeks of hospitalization, according to prosecutors.

"With this sentence, I am glad to see the defendant was held accountable, as this serious incident was completely avoidable,' Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist said. "Individuals who choose to drive impaired risk hurting themselves and others, which is exactly what happened in this case."

Have a news tip? Email jimmy.bentley@patch.com.